Path of Blood
by Boadicia
Summary: Sequel to Dirty Halo. My brother hounded me for this one. This time, Lilith learns the power behind Sparda's Sorrow, and an ancestral enemy shows up with an unexpected guest.
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
2000 years ago  
  
The demon fell to the ground as his left leg gave way from under him. He wrapped his hand around his throat to staunch the blood, but it spurted through his fingers and spilled onto the ground.  
  
"Damn you, Sparda!" More blood squirted through his wound as he cursed his enemy. He fell to the ground and rolled onto his back. A dark figure stood over him. The demon glanced at the large red sword in the dark figures hand. The dark figure slowly raised the sword over its head. "Don't do it, Sparda."  
  
"Why not?" Sparda asked.  
  
"If you do, you will lose everything you hold dear."  
  
Sparda and the demon stared at each other for several seconds before Sparda plunged the sword into the demon's chest. The demon screamed. The force of his voice caused the ground to shake beneath them. Sparda twisted the sword. The demon struck at him. The demon's claw left four gashes across Sparda's arm. Blood splashed onto the demon's face. He rubbed his tongue over it and swallowed.  
  
"By this blood," the demon mumbled, "I curse you."  
  
"As my blood imprisons you, may it alone set you free."  
  
"By that promise, I hold you."  
  
"We shall see." Sparda pulled the blade free and sliced the demon's throat.  
  
present day  
  
Norrak crashed through the stained glass and hit the floor. He glanced around the ancient temple in search of a hiding place. He crawled behind a seat and covered his mouth to muffle his breathing. Several seconds of silence made him brave enough to peek over his hiding place.  
  
As soon as she saw his head, she leapt through the skylight. Both of her guns were aimed for his head. She squeezed both triggers. He saw the lightning and sparkles right before the bullets burst his eyes. He screamed and fell backwards. The woman landed with one foot on other side of him. Her guns were still aimed at his head.  
  
"I'm sorry it had to come to this," she said. Then she rolled her eyes. "Who am I kidding?" Lightning flashed through the broken skylight. A wooden statue on the altar was set ablaze. The light from the growing flame illuminated the names engraved on the side of each gun. On the chrome one was carved Tiamat; on the black one was carved Marduk.  
  
Norrak felt the flames as they spread across the altar. He opened his mouth as if to speak. The woman didn't let him. Another barrage of bullets ripped his face in half. When she saw he was still alive, she took one step back and holstered the guns. He tried to sit up and reach for her. She seized the large sword from her back and severed his head in one clean sweep. Then she propped the sword against her shoulder and casually walked towards the entrance. The fire behind her quickly spread over the altar and began to engulf the entire building.  
  
The woman kicked the door open and stepped outside. She saw a man climbing the hill she stood on. She set the sword in its place on her back and trekked down the hill to meet him halfway.  
  
"You're late, Dad," she said as she walked past him.  
  
He stayed one step behind her as he followed her down the hill. "I knew you'd be all right. Besides, I was busy myself."  
  
"I know. The family business is never done."  
  
"Is that a curse or a blessing?"  
  
"Depends. Personally, I'll never die saying my life was boring."  
  
"Ditto." The temple behind them exploded in a ball of flame. The man stopped and turned his head sideways. He saw an image of flame in his peripheral vision. "Lilith!" he called to his daughter.  
  
She stopped and turned to face him. "Yo! What!"  
  
"Don't you think you overdid it? The locals will be pissed."  
  
"It wasn't me. It was the lightning." Another bolt flashed across the sky and split the steeple in half. "Happy now?"  
  
Dante shrugged. "I'm convinced. What's for dinner?"  
  
Lilith sighed and tilted her head. "Are you serious?" Dante walked past her without answering. She followed him. "Fine. What about stroganoff? I've never done it before, but that never stopped me."  
  
"We don't have any garlic."  
  
"You put garlic in your stroganoff?"  
  
"My mother did."  
  
"Do I look like your mother?" Dante opened his mouth to say something, but Lilith spoke first. "Don't answer that!" 


	2. Restless Souls

Restless Souls  
  
Raynok lay on the ground. His left hand slowly drew designs in the pile of ashes next to his head. "Dear brother, you were never very smart, especially around girls."  
  
"Don't bother mourning," someone said over him. "His death only means more for the two of us."  
  
Raynok rolled onto his back. "True, but he was my brother."  
  
"Your brother," the woman said. "He was mine in name and nature only." She kneeled beside Raynok and leaned over him. "It's you I'm more interested in. And how to get what we want."  
  
"I'm not in the mood, Kerlak." Raynok slid from under her and sat up. "However, I am more concerned with what we want."  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"All of it. I want to go home. We've been stranded on Earth for 2,000 years since the rebellion."  
  
Kerlak ran a lock of hair through her fingers. "Why in the world would you want to go back there?"  
  
"Our family is there, among other things. It's just a question of how."  
  
"I know. You've been obsessing over this for two millenia."  
  
Raynok stood and glared down at her. "You speak as if you don't want to return."  
  
Kerlak matched his glare. "Maybe I don't." She reached for a handful of ash. "Since we've been here, everything about us has dwindled into nothingness. We're becoming human. If we go home, we'd never survive."  
  
"I've considered that, and I already know what to do about it. We can become as we were once again. We just have to find something to restore us, and I know exactly what we need."  
  
Kerlak squeezed the ash. "What would that be?"  
  
"There are others on Earth like us."  
  
Kerlak stood and threw the ash at him. She placed both hands onto her hips and wrinkled her forehead. "You're not suggesting the aid of some lowly demon, are you?"  
  
"Of course not. The one we seek is more powerful than any lowly demon."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
Raynok lifted one side of his mouth. "He kills them for a living."  
  
"Oh, one of those," Kerlak answered nonchalantly. "Well, what do you intend we do with him?"  
  
"We use his power to restore our own. Then we can move on to greater things."  
  
"Greater things, as in?"  
  
"Freeing my father from Earth."  
  
Kerlak straightened as recognition set in. "Your father? He's here? You've found him?"  
  
"He was here, under our noses, the entire time."  
  
Kerlak slouched a little. "What can he do? He would be just as weak as we are."  
  
"Not necessarily. This whole time he's been imprisoned rather than living among these wretched humans. I've found him; we just have to awaken him."  
  
"How do we do that?"  
  
"Blood from the one who imprisoned him."  
  
Kerlak wrinkled her forehead again. "How do we do that? I thought Sparda was dead."  
  
"Sparda is dead," Raynok commented with a smile, "but his memories are not. We just have to find the unsuspecting descendent he passed them on to."  
  
"Even if we pull that off," Kerlak mused, "how could we even get close enough to the sucker to get his blood or his genetic memories?"  
  
"That's the fun part. We find his weak spot."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Pick one. He has plenty." Raynok placed a hand onto Kerlak's shoulder. "By the way, how are your dimension hopping skills?"  
  
*  
"Do it!"  
  
Lilith stared at the sword Merciless in her hands. Deanna kneeled on the floor in front of her. Two shadows held Deanna down, though she didn't struggle. "Do what?"  
  
"You heard me," the voice spoke over her shoulder. "Kill her. Now!"  
  
Merciless became unnaturally heavy. "I can't."  
  
"I'll do it." Dante stepped around her and snatched Merciless from her hands. "You are weak. I'll finish it for you."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Without responding, Dante cleanly decapitated Deanna. Lilith twitched as blood splattered across her face. The head rolled until it bumped into Lilith's foot. Shocked with disbelief, Lilith forced herself to look at Dante. "Dad, what have you done?"  
  
Dante's eyes glowed red as she looked at her and smiled. "You are not mine anymore." Then he plunged Merciless through her throat.  
  
*  
Lilith awoke screaming. She didn't know how long it lasted, but she didn't stop until she heard the banging on her bedroom door. She forced herself to breath slowly and deeply before getting up. She held on to the dresser as she stood. Vertigo caused her to slow down and lean against it. There was more banging. "I'm coming!" she called as she steadied herself. She unlocked and opened the door.  
  
"What is it this time?" Dante asked when she let him in.  
  
"Same as usual."  
  
"Is something wrong with your neck?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Dante grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand from her neck. "Is something wrong with your neck?" he repeated.  
  
Lilith returned to her bed. "No. It was just the nightmare." She lay down in a fetal position. Dante gently shoved her aside to give himself a place to sit. The vertigo returned for a moment when he sat down. "Careful. The room is spinning."  
  
"What did you dream?"  
  
"The usual. About Mom's death, but not the way it really happened."  
  
"Did you do it this time?"  
  
"No. You did."  
  
She felt him staring at her. "Me? Why me?"  
  
"You know dreams are rarely literal. In this one, you disowned me and plunged a sword through my throat."  
  
"Ooh. Ouch. Damn, that explains it."  
  
Lilith fought back tears. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in almost two years since we returned from Shangri-La. My birthday is coming up, and a few days from that is the anniversary of my mother's death. It's not easy keeping up with it all."  
  
"How can you? You won't talk to me, or anyone else, about what's wrong."  
  
"I don't know what to say to you. If I were talking to myself, I still wouldn't know what to say."  
  
Dante tapped his fingers together. "I don't know what to tell you. You're keeping me on the outside. I can only look in, and I don't like what I see."  
  
"I know." Lilith rolled over to face him. "But I can't talk right now. This thing is slowly making me go insane."  
  
"And you're taking me with you."  
  
Lilith wiped her eyes to indicate sleepiness. "I don't want to go through this right now. Can it wait?"  
  
"For how many more months?" Lilith scowled at him; she obviously didn't appreciate the sarcasm. "Sorry." She knew he was apologizing for her feelings, not the sarcasm. He patted her arm. "Take your time, but don't take too long. I can't help you if you don't let me."  
  
"You'll forgive me if I don't make it to work in the morning?"  
  
Dante glanced at the clock. "You have three hours to decide on that."  
  
He stood to leave. When he reached the door, Lilith called out to him. "Do you ever miss her?"  
  
"In spite of everything, almost everyday."  
  
"Any regrets?"  
  
"Too many to count."  
  
*  
Kerlak held her head back to absorb the cool air. "This is, by far, the weirdest idea you have ever come up with to date."  
  
"Thank you. Your comments have been filed for future reference."  
  
"Jerk." She quickly surveyed the barren wasteland they were unfortunate enough to land on. It was impossible to determine the time of day; the sky was covered with forboding black clouds that occasionally flashed lightning. The smell of impending rain could not cover the odor of age and death. Rubble of stone and bricks dotted the dusty landscape. She kicked aside the ashes of a long dead fire. She smiled when she saw a throne of gold before her.  
  
"Don't bother," Raynok called to her. "That's not what we're here for."  
  
"We have all day," Kerlak responded. "It's not like what we're looking for is going anywhere."  
  
Raynok seized her arm. "Half of it is not, but the other half is not guaranteed to be found."  
  
"I don't like going on wild goose chases." Kerlak pulled her arm free. "Especially when the wild goose is a ghost."  
  
"It's not a ghost. It's a wandering soul."  
  
"What's the difference!" Kerlak glanced at a palace several miles in the distance. "Is that where you're taking us?"  
  
"Come on. Now's the time to see if all those centuries of training and study were of any use."  
  
"Of course they were. How else would we have gotten here in the first place, considering the only passageway was mysteriously locked?" Kerlak made no effort to hide the ridicule.  
  
Raynok shrugged one shoulder. "No one knew. The key is lost forever, so stop bitching and come on. The sooner we get what we came for, the sooner we can leave." He slung a large bag of soil over his shoulder and began the trek towards the palace. Kerlak mumbled obscenities as she followed.  
  
*  
  
"When's the last time you cleaned up in here?"  
  
"The last time you did it."  
  
Lilith slung her backpack across a chair. "That's not very comforting. It's been a while since I've been here." She picked the Force Edge from its resting place on the wall. She nearly dropped it when it transformed into the flaming red sword Sparda. "Oops." She snatched the amulet around her neck and tossed it onto the desk. When it returned to the form of the Force Edge, she placed it back on the poster of the naked woman and stepped back.  
  
"You'll learn to stop doing that," Dante said behind her.  
  
"I'm nineteen. It's a little late to start learning basic skills."  
  
Dante picked up the amulet and pulled it in half. He threw one half at her. She caught it with one hand. "Take that," he said. "Don't ask for the other one."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Lilith answered with him as if mocking him. "Because I said so." She twirled her fingers in the air. "I can see you," Dante reminded her.  
  
"Right." Lilith unzipped her overcoat and slung it over a stuffed head. "Hold that, will you?" The telephone rang. "I'll get it!"  
  
"No, you won't!" Dante and Lilith dove simultaneously for the phone. Dante grabbed Lilith as she reached the desk and pushed her over it. He picked up the receiver as she hit the floor. She stayed stretched out on the floor as she listened to the usual business greeting. The following silence made her lift her head halfway over the desk. Dante scowled at her.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"I thought I told you to tell your friends not to call you at this number."  
  
"I did."  
  
"Really? Then this person calling for you is not a friend?"  
  
"Obviously."  
  
Dante flashed her a smirk. "Sorry, Jeremy," he said into the receiver, "she's not interested." Then he hung up the phone before anyone could react.  
  
Lilith jumped to her feet. "Jeremy! You didn't say it was him!"  
  
Dante's smirk widened. "You said he wasn't a friend."  
  
Lilith folded her arms. "I thought you meant friend as in I'm not sleeping with him friend."  
  
Dante tilted his head. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Um," Lilith slowly lowered herself to the floor, "I think I'll just hide under the desk here."  
  
*  
This time it was Raynok's turn to observe the surroundings. The smell of decay was stronger than it was outside. The large room was cold and dark; the only light was the dim beams filtering through the windows.  
  
"Get ready," he said to Kerlak. "The ceremony should start soon."  
  
Kerlak began preparing a spot in the center of the room as Raynok scrutinized the floor. He smiled when he found the large dark stain. He withdrew a dagger and started chipping away at the floor. Minutes later, he removed a chunk of stained wood and took it to Kerlak.  
  
Kerlak pointed to the triple circle she had drawn on the floor. "Sit inside, and we can began."  
  
Raynok placed the wood next to the bag of dirt. Kerlak sat opposite him. Together they took handfuls of dirt and created the outline of a human body while chanting over it. When the entire supply of dirt was used, Kerlak took the wood.  
  
"Native soil of the one we seek, bring her to us, servile and meek." She lay the bloody wood onto the dirt outline and took Raynok's hands. They chanted in unison as loudly as they could. The wood liquified and melted into the dirt beneath it. The dirt heaved as if it were alive. It slowly lifted from the floor until it became more human in a three dimensional space. They stared in awe as the dirt appearance sloughed away to reveal smooth light brown toned skin. Long black hair sprouted from the head and flowed across the floor.  
  
"This is it!" Kerlak shouted. She and Raynok stood and began a new chant. Air whirled between them. They felt a hot energy pass between them and sink into the body on the floor. The whirling air followed suit, and everything fell silent.  
  
Raynok and Kerlak stared at each other. "Is that it?" Raynok asked.  
  
"I don't know. I've never really done this before."  
  
The body on the floor twitched. Kerlak kneeled beside it. The woman on the floor groaned and opened her eyes. She took one look around and screamed. Raynok placed his foot against the woman's neck. She stopped screaming, but her eyes glanced around with panic.  
  
"Welcome," Kerlak said to the woman. "I'm glad to see this trip wasn't a complete waste."  
  
"Who are you?" the woman asked. "What am I doing here?"  
  
"That's easy. I need you to help us find and bait someone. It's an old acquaintance of yours. He has something we need."  
  
"What would that be?"  
  
"That's none of your concern."  
  
"Why should I help you?" Raynok increased the pressure against her neck. She fought back the urge to scream again.  
  
"That's enough, Raynok," Kerlak said. "Now," she said to the woman, "here's the deal. Help us find him, and we'll let you go. Betray us, and your soul will be sucked from you body and enslaved to us forever. Do you understand?" The woman didn't answer. "Do you understand!"  
  
Raynok increased the pressure again. This time the woman screamed, "Yes! I accept!"  
  
Kerlak slapped Raynok's leg. He lifted it to let the woman stand. "I'm glad we understand each other," Kerlak said. "Welcome back to the living, Deanna Min Ná."  
  
*  
"You're not honestly upset, are you?"  
  
Dante leaned over the billiard table as he lined up his shot. "Why in the world would I be upset?"  
  
"Well, that wasn't exactly the best way to began a topic."  
  
"Lilith, please. Give me some credit, will you? I'm neither blind nor ignorant." He knocked the final striped ball into a corner pocket.  
  
"I'm not saying you are."  
  
"You implied it." He knocked the eight ball into a side pocket. "My game."  
  
"I'm sorry," Lilith said. "I should learn greater discretion. Next I'll be telling you I'm pregnant." Dante's only reaction was to trip over his pool cue and bang his head against the billiard table. "I was joking!" Lilith ran to his side as he pulled himself to his feet. "I was joking! I swear!"  
  
Dante rubbed the side of his head. "That wasn't funny."  
  
"I know. I'm not pregnant. I only said it to prove a point. I'm so sorry!"  
  
"You better be," he said under his breath as he returned to the desk to answer the phone. Lilith leaned against the table to give her heart a chance to slow down. When Dante hung up, she asked, "What's that about?" He didn't answer. Lilith straightened. "Dad? What's wrong?"  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
"I find that difficult to believe. Look whom I grew up around."  
  
"Funny."  
  
"No joke." 


	3. Family Business

Family Business  
  
"Are you ready to tell me what the hell is going on?" Lilith asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"You can't hide this from me forever."  
  
"I won't have to." Dante gazed over the old church. "Just do your job. I can't explain something I don't understand myself."  
  
"Fair enough." Lilith looked up at the moon. "We are not far from Dracula's homeland, are we?"  
  
"Appropriate, isn't it? If what the locals say is true, we don't have long before the residents return. Stand lookout."  
  
"You got it." In one strong leap, Lilith was more than halfway up the wall. She kicked off to propel herself the rest of the way. She twisted in midair and landed neatly on the rooftop. She made a quick sweep of the sky, then signaled Dante with a wave of her hand. He nodded and entered the church.  
  
"This is one place Lilith would definitely like to hang out in," Dante said curtly to himself. Human femurs, tibias, and pelvic bones hung from the ceiling in elaborate designs. Human skulls dotted the pillars. A large chalice constructed of human bones rested on the altar. Full and partial skeletons lined the walls. "I don't know what's stranger. The fact this place exists, or it was built out of religious piety."  
  
Dante approached the bone chalice on the altar. On both sides of it were hand sized statues of a man. At least, Dante thought they were men. He picked one up for a closer look. He nearly dropped it when he recognized the demonic figure. He looked at the other one. Though it was human in appearance, Dante knew both figurines were of the same being.  
  
"Statues? Of my father?"  
  
*  
Lilith leaned against the steeple and closed her eyes. She had no intentions of falling asleep. She breathed slowly to get herself into a meditative state. She imagined herself sinking into the rooftop.  
  
Lilith found herself at the bottom of a frozen pond. Forked lightning from Alastor skittered across the ice. A ball of inky darkness floated above her. Ignoring the pain in her frozen body, Lilith raised her arm to touch it. The inky blackness elongated and writhed until it became human-like. It reached out with what seemed to be a hand. Her own hand passed through it. Then it spoke four words to her.  
  
"Children of my blood." As it spoke, she felt its body merge with hers.  
  
Lilith awoke and sat up. "That was spooky. Then again, it was no stranger than any dreams I've been having lately." A cool wind caused her to look towards the horizon. At first she thought she was seeing bats or clouds, but she quickly comprehended the true situation. Silently, she flipped over the edge of the roof.  
  
*  
Dante was placing both statues down when Lilith swung the doors open. "They're here!"  
  
"Already?" He lingered at the altar for a moment, then jumped over it. "If what I've been told is correct, then follow me." He kicked aside a red rug. Underneath was a trap door. He slid his foot under the handle and pulled the door open. Just as he disappeared through the floor, Lilith jumped over the altar. She snatched one of the figurines in the process and fell after him.  
  
Lilith landed in a narrow corridor carved into the ground. The only light was from a torch Dante carried. "Where are we?" she whispered.  
  
"Catacombs." Dante turned and began walking.  
  
"What about the trap door?"  
  
"Leave it. They already know we're here."  
  
Lilith resisted the need to argue, though she was reluctant to turn her back to the door. She followed Dante through the hallway. "Where are we going?"  
  
"To destroy the nest. Then we can worry about the others."  
  
"It's gonna be one of those nights."  
  
"Yep."  
  
The corridor gradually widened. Shelves of skeletons lined the walls. There were several forks in the path, but Dante never stopped to consider which direction to take. He continued on as if tracking a beacon. Lilith noticed several of the skeletons had become resting places for glowing orange orbs.  
  
"Have we found it?"  
  
Dante tossed the torch onto one of the skeletons. The orange orbs in its skull and ribcage burst into flames. "Only the outer edge. There's plenty more farther within."  
  
"So, what do we use?"  
  
"Flame-thrower." Dante transformed and folded his wings close against his back. Large flames flew from his hands and engulfed the entire wall. He gamboled down the corridor in a literal blaze of glory.  
  
"That is the third most bizarre thing I have ever seen in my life," Lilith said to herself. She triggered her own transformation and ignited the other half of the corridor, though not with as much enthusiasm as her father. She followed his trail of fire towards the heart of the catacombs. She nearly tripped over him when she reached the main nest. Though the impact was negligible, it prompted both of them to return to human form. Lilith took one glance around. Half of the room was already ablaze. "Is this the last of the little bastards?"  
  
"It should be." Dante watched the orange orbs erupt several at a time under the immense heat.  
  
"What if there are more of them scattered around?"  
  
"There aren't."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I just followed the trail of eggs. This species always lays them in a straight line."  
  
"That is disgusting."  
  
The eggs continued to burst in the fire. A howl from behind caught their attention. Dante sneered. "Daddy's pissed."  
  
Lilith lightly jabbed him in the ribs. "You know the feeling."  
  
"More than I would care to admit." He triggered his demon form again. "Finish this off and come after me." Dante disappeared through the flaming corridor. Lilith raised her arm and set it ablaze. She swept the room several times to make sure she covered everything before stepping into the flames.  
  
Lilith dashed through the fire. A sudden rush of cold air forced her to stop and look up. The ground over the catacombs and most of the church had been ripped to shreds and tossed into the air. The fire behind her exploded with fresh life with the oxygen rush. Dante was up there and engaged in battle with several demons at once.  
  
"Rock and roll." She leapt from the catacombs and flew upwards to help.  
  
*  
"There he is," Kerlak said as she watched Dante from a distance. "Now's our chance." She lifted the blowgun to her lips.  
  
"Wait!" Raynok seized her arm and forced her to lower the blowgun. "Who is that?" They watched a second figure fly from the ground. The figure fought alongside Dante in the melee. "I didn't know he had a sidekick," Raynok added.  
  
"Maybe it's an apprentice or intern."  
  
"In his business?"  
  
"You never know." Kerlak pulled on the chain she held. The other end was attached to a collar around Deanna's neck. Deanna sat on the ground like a slave. Kerlak leaned over her. "Do you know whom that is?" Deanna remained silent. Kerlak jerked the chain harder. "Who is he!"  
  
"It's a girl!" Deanna responded. She grabbed and pulled against the chain to ease the pressure. "Her name is Lilith."  
  
"So you do know her? Who is this Lilith? Where did she come from?"  
  
The sound of rapid fire was interjected into the battle above. "I can't."  
  
"Yes, you can!" Kerlak jerked the chain harder. "Remember what will happen if you don't cooperate."  
  
Tears welled up. "She's his daughter!"  
  
"Daughter?" Kerlak and Raynok asked together. They exchanged greedy glances. "Why didn't you know about this?" she asked him.  
  
"I guess my sources were obsolete," Raynok asked. "Then again, this could be an unforeseen advantage." He placed his hand on Deanna's chin and forced her to look at him. "Who is the mother?"  
  
Deanna's silence was answer enough. "I don't believe our luck," Kerlak said. She turned Deanna's head her way. "You and Dante weren't just acquaintances, were you, Deanna? You were lovers." Deanna remained silent. Kerlak smiled at Raynok and raised her hand. "We hit the jackpot!"  
  
Raynok slapped her palm with his own. Then he unhooked the chain from Deanna's collar. He pulled on her arm to make her stand. "Now, go do your stuff."  
  
Kerlak swung the chain in front of her. "Don't forget. Promises, promises."  
  
Deanna took a deep breath, then began walking towards Dante and Lilith.  
  
*  
An hour later, Dante split the last demon's skull with his sword. Brain matter spilled over as the body fell limp to the ground. Dante dropped to one knee and inhaled. "It's finally over."  
  
Lilith tapped his head. "It wasn't that bad. You've had to do worse."  
  
"True, but now it's over." Dante pushed her hand aside and stood. "Let's get out of here before anyone notices the mess we made."  
  
"What about the fire? We can't hide that."  
  
"It won't last long. There's not enough fuel to keep it burning through the night."  
  
"What will the locals say? This is no different from the temple I destroyed."  
  
"Picky, picky." Dante lightly jabbed her shoulder. "Let's get the hell out of here."  
  
"Hello, Dante." The voice caused both Dante and Lilith to freeze for a moment. Lilith's eyes widened in panic. Dante's face remained stoic. They both turned to face the woman the familiar voice came from. Lilith stared at her for a few seconds, then fainted. Dante caught her and held her against his chest. Then he looked back at the woman.  
  
"What the hell is going on? How do you know my name?"  
  
"Is that all you can say after all this time?" she asked.  
  
"Who the hell are you?"  
  
Deanna approached him and brushed his cheek with her knuckles. He withdrew like a terrified animal in a cage. "Don't you recognize me?" she asked.  
  
"The woman I think of is dead."  
  
Deanna spread her arms. "Am I dead?"  
  
"No, which is exactly why I don't trust you. Who, or what, are you?"  
  
"I understand, but you have to let me explain."  
  
Dante slowly backed away from her. He lifted Lilith into his arms. "Explain nothing, because that's all you can tell me. If you are whom I think you are, then you know where to find me. If you show up, then we can talk." He turned his back to her and walked away. Deanna didn't follow him.  
  
"I'll see you there then," she mumbled.  
  
*  
"Yeah," Lilith said into the cordless phone. "We were in Romania." She sat on the couch with her back on the seat and her feet dangling over the back. Her head rested against the coffee table. An incomplete game of Solitaire was scattered across the table.  
  
"What the hell were you doing in Romania?" Jeremy asked over the phone.  
  
"My dad had a job over there."  
  
"Why does he always have to take you with him? You're a grown woman. You don't need a baby-sitter. Why can't he just let you stay at home?"  
  
"I'm his apprentice, stupid. I have to go with him on the job to learn the ropes."  
  
"Well, why don't you just move out?"  
  
"There's no way that will work. Especially with our line of work."  
  
Jeremy snorted. "I don't know why. What does he do, anyway?"  
  
"You don't want to know."  
  
There was a short silence. "Your dad's not a crook or anything, is he?"  
  
"Of course not! There's nothing illegal about what he does. I don't think any country has a law about anything he does."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You don't want to know that either."  
  
Dante walked past her. His nails scratched the bottom of her bare foot. She jerked them away and rolled so she could sit up. "Get off the phone," Dante said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Huh?" Jeremy asked.  
  
"Not you," Lilith said to Jeremy. "Wait a minute."  
  
"The phone," Dante said. "Now."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We have a guest."  
  
"Who?"  
  
Dante snatched the phone from her and put it to his ear. "She'll have to call you back, Jeremy. Something important has come up." He pressed the off button. "We have a problem."  
  
"Whatever it is, I didn't do it."  
  
"It's nothing you did. Someone is here to see us."  
  
Lilith shrugged. "Who?"  
  
"Me." Lilith stood and stepped aside to see around Dante. She felt her heart skip a beat. "Do you know me?" the woman asked.  
  
Lilith stepped around the couch so she could stand in front of the woman. Then she slapped Deanna across the face. "I don't know who or what you are, but this is not funny. Don't think you are my mother. She's dead. I saw it with my own eyes."  
  
"You get right to the point, don't you?" Deanna looked back at Lilith. "I know, which is why I'm here. I have to explain why I'm here and what's going on."  
  
"You can tell my father, but I don't give a damn."  
  
Dante pulled Lilith from Deanna. "Lilith, listen to me. We have to let her talk. She has something to tell us."  
  
"She can tell you. I don't want to hear it."  
  
"You have to."  
  
"My mother is dead!" Lilith pulled her arm free and snatched the phone from Dante. "I don't know who or what you are," she said to Deanna, "nor where you came from, but you are not my mother. Now, whether or not either of you mind, I have to call my boyfriend back." Lilith forcefully shoved her way past Deanna and out of the room.  
  
"I know my timing is bad," Deanna said softly.  
  
"I don't think any timing is good timing," Dante said. "Not if you are whom you say you are."  
  
"Why would I lie?"  
  
"I have a lot of enemies. As far as I'm concerned, right now you may still be one of them."  
  
"Still? When were we ever enemies?"  
  
"I could answer that if I knew your true identity."  
  
"What you see is what you get. What do you see?"  
  
"An illusion." Dante sat on the couch.  
  
"If I were an illusion, would I have come here? How would I have even known where to go? No one instructed me."  
  
Dante picked up the cards and shuffled them. "There is no guarantee that any place I call home would be safe."  
  
"I know," Deanna responded. "When Lilith was two, the house was attacked by a demon sect that kidnapped her. You went through hell and high water to kill every single one of them before they could let any and every of their kind know you even had a daughter. Right?" She saw Dante straighten as he recalled the memory. "It was raining the night you brought her home. You slept in her room for three months until the nightmares went away."  
  
"Anyone could have known that." Dante arranged the cards for a Solitaire game. "That means nothing."  
  
"When Lilith was eight, you went to her school for Career Day and beat up one of the other parents."  
  
"That's no secret. He had it coming."  
  
"When Lilith was sixteen, I killed her dog. In retaliation, she tried to kill me. You kicked me out of the house for two years. I never talked to her once in that time."  
  
"Still not convinced. Tell me something I don't know."  
  
"In Shangri-La, after Lineia stole Lilith's powers, who led you to the frozen pond that helped save her life while you ran off to fight Lineia?"  
  
Dante dropped the card in his hand. His eyes narrowed. "I never told anyone about that."  
  
Deanna sat beside him. "You were the only one who saw me because I willed it so. It was the only way I could make things up to the both of you. Before, you and I had fought that night over Lilith. The last thing you said to me was, 'If you touch her again, I swear I'll kill you.' Am I right?"  
  
Dante looked into Deanna's eyes. "Interesting, but it doesn't answer some important questions."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"You died in Shangri-La. I saw your body, but Lilith saw your actual death. Shangri-La doesn't intercept the realm of Earth for another 7,000 years. Even if that weren't an issue, the only way in or out is sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic. How can you be here, alive?"  
  
Deanna lowered her eyes. "I was sent here. I can't tell you much because my soul is endangered again."  
  
"Oh, yes! That! Lineia stole half your soul, and it made you the bitch I fell in love with."  
  
Deanna jumped to her feet. "It's not that simple! Now my entire soul is intact, and all of it is in danger!"  
  
"From whom?"  
  
"I don't really know." She sat down again. "All I remember is that I was wondering the barren remains of my homeland, and then I found myself lying on the floor between a man and a woman. They threatened to steal my soul if I didn't help them."  
  
Dante's eyebrows lifted with an epiphany. "You're the one who called us to Romania, aren't you?"  
  
"I had to. If they discover I've told you anything, I'm doomed."  
  
"Lovely."  
  
Tears welled up again. "You have to believe me. It's not what you think."  
  
"Really? What do I think?"  
  
"You're trying to find a reason to remain suspicious."  
  
"I don't need to find a reason. I have plenty already."  
  
Deanna watched him flip over and line up cards. She finally mustered up enough courage to ask, "Don't you want to know about the people who brought me back?"  
  
"Yes, but not from you."  
  
"Then from whom?"  
  
"Let them come to me themselves, just like everyone else I've had to deal with."  
  
"That can work." Deanna stood. "I suppose you want me to leave now."  
  
"Where are you staying?"  
  
"What do you care?"  
  
Dante listened to Deanna's footsteps as she walked away and slammed the door on her way out. "Somebody, please give me a sign." A gust of wind blew the cards across the floor. He buried his face between his hands. "Somebody, please give me another sign." 


	4. Puppy Love

Puppy Love  
  
Kerlak stroked Deanna's head absent-mindedly. She didn't notice the tears sliding down Deanna's face. Kerlak swirled her glass of wine before taking another sip. Raynok was on the floor a few feet away. In front of him was a large statue of a man with his arms crossed over his chest. Raynok placed an offering of raw bloody meat into the statue's lap and kowtowed at its feet.  
  
"This isn't working," Kerlak said. "Are you sure this is the right one? There are plenty of statues of gods of destruction. How do you know this one is your father?"  
  
Raynok continued the kowtow. Kerlak scratched Deanna's scalp. "How was your day?" she asked Deanna.  
  
"He wants to know everything."  
  
"I'm sure he does." Kerlak finished the wine in one gulp. "I suppose he'll want to meet us to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are indeed Deanna."  
  
"It might help." The chain attached to Deanna's collar rattled as she shifted position. "How did you do it?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Bring me back?"  
  
Kerlak dug her nails into Deanna's scalp until Deanna cringed. "That's more than you need to know, honey."  
  
"He needs to know."  
  
"Then I'll tell him myself. In the meantime, you have to continue your own mission. Remember what happens if you don't."  
  
Deanna lowered her head. "I understand."  
  
"Raynok! Do you have anything yet!"  
  
Raynok lifted his head from the floor. He turned to Kerlak and smiled. "We're finally getting somewhere."  
  
Kerlak stood. "What do you have?"  
  
"If we can break him loose, he will give us back what we have lost. He says he can do it."  
  
"Then how do we break him loose."  
  
"He wants a sacrifice."  
  
Kerlak linked her fingers together and popped her knuckles. "What kind of sacrifice?"  
  
"The son of the one who trapped him here. The son of Sparda."  
  
"Him specifically? Why?"  
  
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."  
  
Kerlak nodded slowly. "Oh yeah. Deanna, honey, it looks like you're back in business."  
  
*  
"She's not Deanna," Lilith said as she moved a blue army into Kamchatka on the Risk board. "Deanna is dead. Whatever she is, it's a trap."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"How do you know it's not?"  
  
"I don't, but neither of us knows anything for certain."  
  
"Fair enough. I'm attacking Mongolia from Japan." Before Lilith could roll her dice, a clock alarm rang. Dante put his dice down and grabbed his trenchcoat.  
  
"I'm off. You coming?"  
  
"It depends. Is that woman coming back?"  
  
"I don't know, but it's possible."  
  
"I'll come in later on the Ninja, then. I have to run an errand."  
  
Dante tilted his head. "What kind of errand?"  
  
"Don't worry. It's legal, and it won't get me into trouble. It will also make or break that woman's story."  
  
"How?"  
  
Lilith smirked and winked. "Wait and see."  
  
*  
Dante turned the page carefully. The tome was yellow and brittle with centuries of age. He read over the archaic dialect while simultaneously channel surfing with a remote control in his right hand. His hands froze only when he heard a knock at the front door.  
  
"Who the hell would that be?" He put the remote down but kept his eyes on the tome in his hands as he approached the door and opened it. "Yeah, what do you want?"  
  
"Dante?"  
  
Dante remained still as the tome slid from his hands. It landed on his left foot. It might as well have been a hammer. He quivered just barely and groaned with the pain, but he didn't move his foot. "Deanna?"  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
Dante straightened. "I don't know. Can you?"  
  
"Let's find out." Deanna maneuvered her way around him. She picked up the tome and held it towards him. "You dropped something."  
  
"Be careful. That book is centuries old." He snatched it from her and slammed it onto the nearest table.  
  
"Me be careful?" Deanna folded her arms. "You're the one who's about to destroy the poor thing." She turned off the television. "Where's Lilith?"  
  
"Running an errand."  
  
"Good. I want to talk to you alone."  
  
"What about?"  
  
"Actually, I want to continue our conversation from yesterday."  
  
"That conversation ended."  
  
"Too soon." She walked towards him and placed a hand on each arm. "Sit?"  
  
"Just this once."  
  
"Please! Work with me!"  
  
Dante pulled out a chair and sat on it backwards. He crossed his arms over the back and rested his chin on top. Deanna sighed and followed suit. "Well," Dante said, "get to talking."  
  
"Look," Deanna retorted, "if you don't want to hear me out, then I'll just leave and never return."  
  
"Wait!" Dante's hand reached out like a striking cobra and grabbed her arm. "Stay. I'll listen."  
  
"All right." Deanna pried his hand from her arm. "I know that since I showed up in Romania, you've been trying to find every possible contingency to explain what I'm doing here. The truth is, there's nothing I can tell you that would satisfy you. I don't even know all the answers myself."  
  
"Then what do you want? Why are you here?"  
  
"Don't you understand? This is an opportunity to fix the past. I want to make things right between us. I know that I wasn't the best person in the world, but I wasn't the worst either. If I knew then what I know now, then we never would have left Earth to begin with, and we wouldn't be going through this right now."  
  
Dante stretched his neck until a bone popped. "Did you know that for the past two years, Lilith has suffered nightmares about your death?"  
  
"I would imagine."  
  
"At least once a week, she wakes up screaming and sweating. Each dream is different, but they all end in your death. Sometimes she spaces out as if dreaming with her eyes open. She's had visions."  
  
"What kind of visions?"  
  
"She claims to have made contact with my father's spirit."  
  
He noticed Deanna tense up. "Really? Why doesn't she come face me about her problems, since I'm obviously the source of them all."  
  
"If you're really Deanna Min Ná."  
  
"What will it take to convince you? A touch?" Deanna reached out to brush her hand against his face as she had done before. This time he could not back away. He closed his eyes and held his breath. He tried to fight the sensation, but his brain overcame his resistance. He exhaled as a tingling feeling spread across the side of his face.  
  
"That wasn't so bad," Deanna said. "Was it?" When Dante didn't respond, she rubbed a thumb lightly across his lips. He remained still. Daring herself, Deanna tilted her chair forward. She leaned over it and kissed him. He held his breath again but didn't push her away. She worked against his mouth with no resistance. Then she leaned back and stared at him. "Familiar territory?"  
  
All he could do was stare back. The reverie was broken at the sound of a motorcycle approaching. Dante stood to give himself some distance from Deanna. The motorcycle was shut off, and seconds later Lilith entered the building. She had one hand behind her back. Lilith showed no surprise when she saw Deanna.  
  
"You're back. I'm glad. Come here." Deanna folded her arms and scowled. "Just come here," Lilith insisted. "I won't do anything harmful."  
  
"Fine." Deanna stood and put both hands against her hips. "What do you want?"  
  
"Do you remember a black Labrador I used to have?"  
  
"Of course. Guess. Dante gave her to you when you were ten. What about her?"  
  
Lilith slowly walked towards her. "You and Guess never really got along, but it wasn't until the disaster at Shangri-La that I understood why. People have said for who knows how long that animals can sense things that people can't. I realized after some time that Guess hated you because you weren't right somehow."  
  
"You mean, because I was missing half of my soul."  
  
"Yes. Which is why I picked this up." Lilith carefully pulled her arm from behind her back and held it up. A brown puppy was propped against her hand and wrist. "Let's see how you hold up to this."  
  
She pressed the puppy against Deanna's chest. To everyone's amazement, the puppy wagged its tail and pushed itself towards Deanna. Smiling, Deanna lifted the puppy from Lilith's arms and held it against her chest.  
  
"What do you know?" Deanna mused. "He likes me."  
  
"Oh my god!" Lilith backed away. "It's not possible."  
  
"Yes, it is." The puppy licked Deanna's face. "May I keep him, or did you have other plans?"  
  
"No, that's fine." Lilith stepped around her. Deanna turned to face both Lilith and Dante.  
  
"Now do you both believe me? I really am Deanna Min Ná. All of her."  
  
"If you don't mind," Lilith whispered to Dante, "I think I'll call in sick today."  
  
"You do that. I need some time to talk with her."  
  
"Take your time."  
  
*  
Lilith sat on her bed. She stared at the statues on her dresser. One of them was the statue of the God of Time Dante picked up from Mallet Island. The one beside it was the statue of Sparda she snatched from the church in Romania.  
  
"You have quite a number of fan clubs, don't you, Grandpa?" She picked up a set of meditation beads and wrapped them around her hands. "Let's have a heart to heart." She stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes.  
  
Lilith stood on the edge of a cliff at night. The ocean waves crashed against the cliffside hundreds of feet below. A powerful seabreeze tempted her to take flight.  
  
"Not yet," someone said behind her. Lilith watched a man approach her. "You can't leave yet. We are not done here."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
The man stood beside her and smiled. He had platinum white hair slicked to the back of his head. The flaming red sword Sparda hung from his back. Lilith glanced towards the ground where he cast a shadow against the moonlight. Though his body appeared human, his shadow had curved horns sticking from its head, a tail, and a pair of wings.  
  
"It's you," Lilith whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're Sparda."  
  
"The one and only." Sparda stepped to the edge and tottered back and forth as if challenging gravity. "You want something?"  
  
"There are many things I have asked of you over the past months, but you have yet to give me any of them."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"Why you've come to me."  
  
Sparda remained silent for some time. "I came because you called me."  
  
"That's not possible. How could I call you if I didn't even know you were available?"  
  
"I came because you called me," Sparda repeated. "You were lying at the bottom of a frozen pond while my son fought for your life. I came to help protect you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you are my granddaughter. A child of my blood."  
  
"So I've heard."  
  
Sparda looked over his shoulder. "You don't seem too proud of that."  
  
Lilith positioned herself beside him and began imitating his movements on the cliff. "I am proud of that, but it's not easy. I have yet to discover whether it's a blessing or a curse."  
  
"That is relative. It is also irrelevant. Dante walks the Earth for a reason."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"To continue my legacy. You, also, must do the same for him."  
  
"Okay. Enough of the riddles. I need to know the truth about my mother."  
  
"Then ask her."  
  
"So, she really is my mother?"  
  
Sparda smiled. "I'm just here for myself."  
  
"I should have known you'd say that."  
  
"Good girl."  
  
"Can you tell me the future? Even vaguely?"  
  
"Why should I show you your future when you don't understand your past?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Sparda's human visage disappeared in a flash of black light. A wing slapped across Lilith's face. She felt herself fall over the cliffside. Sparda in his demon form jumped after her. She didn't bother transforming so he could catch her and fly away. He carried her several feet before dropping her.  
  
Lilith landed on her feet on a smooth stone floor. She took one look around and froze in terror. Sparda landed beside her and spun her towards three people on the other side of the room. Lineia was standing over Deanna and a copy of Lilith. Lilith realized she was watching a replay of the past.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" she asked Sparda. "Why are you showing me this?" When her grandfather didn't answer, she faced him. "Why are you showing me this!" Sparda seized her face and forced her to look at the scene again. Right after he did so, she watched the sentry kill Deanna again.  
  
She opened her mouth to scream, but never got the chance. Sparda wrapped his wings around her. She sensed the environment change with movement in the air. When Sparda released her, she found herself in a dark room. She covered her mouth with abashment when she saw the bed in front of her. Dante and Deanna were lying there. From the room design, she could tell they were in Shangri-La. The bedroom door creaked open to let a head slide in. Lineia hummed as she leaned over Deanna's body.  
  
"You did the deed," Lineia teased the sleeping woman. "Now it's my job to make sure you bring it back." She swept her hand over Deanna as if gathering up something. A white mist lifted from Deanna's body and collected into her palm. "See you later." Lineia planted a kiss on the mist to make it contract into a small globe of light. Then she left the room as quickly as she entered.  
  
"I suppose that's how my mother lost half her soul," Lilith said to Sparda. "What about it?"  
  
Once again, Sparda enveloped her in his wings. This time he took her home. Deanna was sitting in the dining room. A half empty bottle of champagne was on the table, but she wasn't drinking any. She simply sat there with a look of worry. She sniffed a little.  
  
"Is she crying?" Lilith asked. Sparda's only response was a finger over his lips. Deanna sat up when she heard the front door open and close, followed by a child crying.  
  
"Deanna?" Dante called from another room.  
  
"In here!" she called back. Dante entered with a two-year-old Lilith in his arms. They were both wet and muddy. Deanna vaulted from her seat and took Lilith from his arms. She coddled Lilith until the toddler stopped crying. "Did you kill them all?" she asked.  
  
"I hope I did," Dante said. "If any got away, I didn't notice. I killed every single one I saw, and I kept tabs. If my math is right, they're all dead."  
  
"Good. Did any of them blab?"  
  
"Definitely not. Lilith's existence is still secret."  
  
"Good." Deanna kissed the toddler's forehead. "Let's get her into something dry before she gets sick."  
  
The real Lilith shook her head. "I don't remember this. I was too young. What's the point, even if it's real? If you're going to keep this up, can you show me something that's not sugary ad nauseum?"  
  
Sparda nodded and folded his wings around her as usual. The first thing Lilith noticed before he released her was the sound of Sandstorm blasting through speakers. She recognized the nightclub they were in. "I asked for it," she said to herself. She saw a sixteen-year-old version of herself dancing with a man more than twice her age.  
  
On cue, the real Lilith glanced towards the entrance. Dante stepped in. His eyes quickly found the only other platinum white haired person in the club. He watched the thirty-five-year-old man lead her to the bar. By the way she was walking, it wasn't her first trip there. Dante's frown deepened; then he bared his teeth when he saw the man's hand attempt to go where it didn't belong. He plowed a path through the dancers. When Dante reached the couple, he snatched the man's hand and bent it back at an unnatural angle.  
  
Lilith shuddered at the screaming. She nearly fell from her seat when she saw Dante. He released the man's hand and said to her, "You are in a shitload of trouble right now!"  
  
"It's not what you think."  
  
Dante leaned over her. His eyes took on the trademark glow of a parent infuriated beyond reconciliation. "Say that closer to my face so I can smell it." Lilith knew he could detect the alcohol anyway.  
  
A hand clamped down onto Dante's shoulder. Dante turned and shoved the hand aside. The man glared at him. "Hey, man, get your own girl," Dante snapped.  
  
"What's it to you?"  
  
"I'm her father, that's what. Go play with someone else." Dante turned back to Lilith. Before he could open his mouth, the man tapped him on his shoulder. "Lilith, do you mind?" Dante asked.  
  
"Michael," Lilith called around him. "You don't want to do that! Really!"  
  
"Why not?" Michael dared.  
  
"Because he will break every bone in your body. Twice. If he's happy. And right now, he's pissed."  
  
"Yeah?" Michael flashed his middle finger. "Tell him to piss on this."  
  
Dante's only response was to snatch Michael's finger and snap it three times in one move. Without waiting for a response, Dante slammed Michael's head against the bar. Dante grabbed Lilith's glass, gulped the Orgasm, and dragged Lilith outside. He cursed at her the entire time.  
  
The real Lilith shook her head. "I wish I hadn't seen that. Grandpa Sparda, I'm done with all this. I need something to help me with my future. Something pertaining to what's going on now."  
  
Sparda tilted his head as he considered her request. "All right." Lilith braced herself for Sparda's wings. Moments later, she found them standing in what appeared to be a massively volcanic location, like a vision of Hell. Lava flows and geysers of fire erupted in the distance.  
  
"What's so special about this?" Lilith looked around, then stopped and stared at the ground in horror. Dante was stretched out before her. He appeared a way she had never seen--unconscious, bruised, and bleeding. Lilith spoke to Sparda. "How is this possible? How could anyone do this to him? He's your son!"  
  
She reached down to touch him. Sparda grabbed her hand to hold her back. "Is he alive?" Lilith asked. He dragged her away. "Is he alive!" Sparda threw her to the ground. "Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Blessings. Curses. Heaven. Hell. Those who carry my blood must suffer so. Let them truly know me."  
  
Lilith shook her head. "What?"  
  
Sparda kneeled beside her. He ran a claw across his palm. Blood spilled onto the ground. "Know me and my power." He placed his palm against her forehead. She felt the blood pour down her face as she lost consciousness.  
  
Lilith awoke abruptly. She gasped and sat up. The clock read midnight. "You never were much for frankness, were you Grandpa Sparda?" The God of Time flooded her room with yellow light. "I'm not in the mood for you right now, Chronos." The light dimmed as if in response. "She really is my mother, isn't she? And just as before, she will lead us to disaster. Why does she feel the urge to do this?" She looked at the statues as if expecting one of them to answer. When neither did, she shrugged. "I'll worry about it later. Right now, I need a drink."  
  
*  
"Is this your idea of talking with me?" Deanna asked as she stretched.  
  
"I didn't hear any complaints," Dante replied.  
  
"True. I never had grounds to." Deanna rolled to her side and reached for her shirt. "Still, it may not have been the wisest move." She slid out of bed to get dressed.  
  
Dante decided it was sensible to do the same thing. "Why's that?"  
  
Deanna stopped to think about her words. "We're in the middle of a crisis."  
  
"That's nothing new."  
  
"That's true, too."  
  
Deanna slipped her feet into her sandals. Dante opened the door and motioned for her to exit first. She scampered over the bed, bowed, and ran out. She proceeded down the stairs at the end of the hall. Lilith was standing at the bottom with a bottle of Vanilla Coke to her lips. Lilith swallowed half of what was in her mouth and spit out the rest.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Lilith inquired.  
  
"Hello, Lilith," Deanna said.  
  
"Deanna," Lilith answered.  
  
"Give it time." Deanna patronized as she walked past her.  
  
Dante stood on the middle step. Lilith grimaced at him. When she realized what she was doing, she forced her face to soften. "You said you were going to talk to her."  
  
"We did talk."  
  
"Before or after."  
  
"Both." Dante tried to ignore her long enough to walk past her, but she stopped him with one statement.  
  
"I saw Grandpa Sparda."  
  
"Again?"  
  
"We had a very serious conversation. I saw things that frightened me, especially..." Lilith suddenly wished she hadn't mentioned it.  
  
"Especially what?"  
  
Lilith nibbled on the bottle for a while. "If something were to happen to you, what would you expect of me?"  
  
"What do you mean, if something were to happen to me?"  
  
"If, somehow, someway, for whatever reason, you were to die, or at least disappear for all eternity, what would you expect of me?"  
  
"Lilith?" Dante took her soda. His face showed moderate concern. "Did you have a vision of my death?"  
  
Lilith bowed her head slightly. "I don't know how to answer your question."  
  
"But I know how to answer yours." He tilted her head up so he could look her in the eye. "If anything were to happen to me, even death, then I would expect you to continue my legacy. I'm a devil hunter. My father passed his legacy to me, and I want you to do the same when the time comes. Does that answer your question?"  
  
"More than I would care to admit." Lilith took her soda and embraced Dante. "Don't ever think I never appreciated you, Dad." 


	5. Sacrifice

Sacrifice  
  
Kerlak sang as Raynok continued to kowtow. "You know," she finally said, "you're really starting to look stupid over there. Give it a rest. There's nothing we can do until Deanna returns."  
  
Raynok sat against his haunches. "When will that be? She's been gone for days."  
  
"Longer than that." Kerlak sat beside him. "I think she's starting to forget why she's here."  
  
"Then I suggest we remind her."  
  
"That won't be necessary." Kerlak touched the medallion around her neck. "She has returned." Kerlak lifted her hand and made a vertical line in the air as if cutting it with her nail. A black line appeared where she traced it. It lengthened until it was nearly six feet tall. Deanna poked her head through and pulled the rest of her body into the room. By habit, she dropped to the floor next to Kerlak.  
  
"How did things go?" Kerlak asked.  
  
"I believe I've gained his trust."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
Deanna lifted her head from the floor. "I know him. He trusts me."  
  
"What about Lilith?" Raynok asked. "Will she be a threat once we get what we want?"  
  
"Possibly, but I can handle her if she is unaware of my involvement."  
  
"Which is the problem," Raynok said, "because you can't bed her. That's just disgusting."  
  
Kerlak patted Raynok's arm. "You're so cute." She placed the collar around Deanna's neck and reattached the chain. "When's a good time to get in?"  
  
"As soon as you can."  
  
"Good." Kerlak yanked the chain to pull Deanna to her face. "Don't even consider warning them. Do you understand?" Deanna nodded. "Good girl. Raynok, rally the troops. We're making a house call."  
  
"Wait!" Deanna yelled.  
  
Raynok and Kerlak glared at her. "What was that?" Kerlak challenged.  
  
"Let me do it," Deanna whispered.  
  
"Say what?"  
  
"Let me do it. There's no need to storm the place. It will be better if he comes willingly, rather than by force."  
  
"I see," Raynok said. "Let her go, Kerlak. I have another idea."  
  
"Which is?" Kerlak inquired.  
  
"Get some paper and a pen. We're going to write Dante a letter."  
  
*  
Lilith held the letter against the lampshade and read it for the hundredth time. By now she had it memorized, but she still questioned its athenticity. "I know she wrote this, but there's something wrong with it. Why would anyone want to kidnap her?" She almost dropped it when she heard the door open and close.  
  
"Dad!" she yelled without turning around.  
  
He didn't yell back. She heard him speak behind her head. "What is wrong with you?"  
  
"It's not me. It's Deanna."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Lilith held the letter over her shoulder. She let it slip through her fingers. Dante grabbed it from the air. She sidestepped out of the way to prepare for a reaction that never came. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Peachy." He crumbled the paper and tossed it.  
  
"You're going, aren't you?"  
  
"What did you expect?"  
  
"That you would be more sensible." Dante gave her the usual stoic look, but this time she ignored it. "She's not really in danger. She's setting you up. How could she write a letter and send it here if she's really being held captive? "  
  
"She didn't write the letter. That's not her penmanship."  
  
"That means nothing."  
  
Dante tugged on the tip of his glove. "Even if she is setting us up, there's another story behind it."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"She's being forced to do it."  
  
Lilith folded her arms. "Who cares if that's true? Isn't it obvious you're being baited?"  
  
"Sure it is. Don't insult my intelligence."  
  
"Then why are you going?" Dante's only response was to leave the room. Lilith stomped after him. "Why are you going!"  
  
Dante stopped and raised his hand to her. "You can do one of two things. Either go with me to find out what's going on, or stay out of my way."  
  
"You know something I don't," Lilith dared, "or else you wouldn't be so reckless."  
  
Dante dropped his hand. "You're right. She's been in trouble from the beginning."  
  
"What kind of trouble?"  
  
"She's being held in spiritual slavery again, but this time, it's all of her."  
  
"How do you even know it's really her?"  
  
"Trust me for once. Get over your childhood issues and trust me on this." Lilith slumped slowly to the side. "I shouldn't have said that."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Lilith assured him weakly, "but I refuse to stay out of your way. Give me five minutes."  
  
*  
Lilith raised her palm to catch a raindrop before entering the temple. "Why can I see my breath? It's warm here."  
  
"This is an irreverent place." Dante stared at a stained window. "This temple is similar to the one you blew up earlier. Maybe they're connected."  
  
"Then the real culprit must be a relative or old lover of that guy I popped back there. Why else would we be going through this?"  
  
"Whatever." Dante signaled to her and pointed at the bloody altar. Behind it was a large carving of a man in a sitting position with his arms folded. Symbols and runes were carved over it. "Does any of this look familiar?"  
  
"I don't think so. Then again, I didn't pay attention when I fell through the ceiling. I was too busy working." She took a closer look at the carvings. "Some of those are Theban."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Theban. An arcane alphabet."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm glad you made it." Dante and Lilith turned simultaneously towards the voice. Deanna walked around the altar. She wore the collar without the chain. "I was afraid you wouldn't come."  
  
Lilith aimed Tiamat for Deanna's forehead. "We wouldn't have, but my father decided to act against his better judgment."  
  
Deanna raised her hand as if to placate Lilith. "It's not what you think. I didn't want you to come either, but I had no choice."  
  
Lilith let Tiamat angle downward. "Why should we believe you?"  
  
"They're here with you," Dante said, "aren't they?"  
  
"They?" Lilith asked. "Who's they?"  
  
"Leave," Deanna said. "I know I've gone through all this trouble, and my existance will be forfeit, but you have to leave."  
  
"Why the change of heart? Assuming that's applicable."  
  
"Lilith, leave," Dante ordered.  
  
Lilith dropped her arm to her side and stared at her father with wide eyes. "Why?"  
  
"That won't be necessary," a fourth voice added. Behind Deanna, Kerlak appeared. In a single motion, she hooked the chain to Deanna's collar and yanked it until Deanna fell to her knees. Kerlak placed her hand onto Deanna's head while carrying the other end of the chain over her shoulder. "She's a good pet."  
  
"It's been you all along, hasn't it?" Dante accused. Kerlak nodded. "What do you want?"  
  
"My request is simple. I want to go home."  
  
"Why would you bother us and go through all this just to go home?"  
  
"I am weak. My only way out of here is by reviving a certain demon so my power may be restored."  
  
"Innocent enough. What do I have to do with it? Why did it warrant bringing Deanna here?"  
  
Kerlak pressed lightly against Deanna's head. "She was bait. Your daughter figured that out. As for you, I need you to do me a favor, or else the demon can't awaken to restore me."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Offer yourself as a sacrifice."  
  
"Oh, hell no!" Lilith took one step forward. Dante snatched her trenchcoat collar and pulled her back.  
  
"What if I say no?" Dante asked.  
  
"Then Deanna will go in your place. If she does, then opening the portal to restore my power and send me home will have an unfortunate consequence."  
  
"Being."  
  
"Both of our worlds will merge, and my world isn't a pretty one to call your own. Not humans, anyway. It's your job to save them from things like that, isn't it?"  
  
Dante still held on to Lilith's collar. "Something like that. Why me specifically?"  
  
"Because your father was the one who imprisoned the demon and trapped us here on Earth."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, during the battle that resulted in his imprisonment, he accidentally got a mouthful of your father's blood. As an unfortunate side effect, he must taste that blood again, or something like it, to properly awaken."  
  
"Oh, great. As if I didn't know, this means?"  
  
"You have to sacrifice yourself, or the Earth fuses with Hell. Quite an interesting consequence, and I have every intention of using it."  
  
"What about Deanna and Lilith?"  
  
"I'll let them go, without a scratch."  
  
"I don't believe you, but I'll play along anyway. I'm not worried."  
  
"What!" Lilith cried out. Dante responded by pushing her aside and giving her a quick wink. "What are you doing?"  
  
Dante ignored her. "Let Deanna go, and I'll go right now. Willingly."  
  
"Go first, then I'll let her go."  
  
"Fine." Dante spoke to Lilith without looking at her. "If she backs out on her word, kill her."  
  
"You can't go," Lilith said.  
  
Dante turned to her. "Why not?"  
  
"Because you're not coming back. This could be my vision coming true."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I'll bet your life on it. What if this will lead to my vision coming true? You could die at any moment. You don't even know what this entails."  
  
"Have you already forgotten what I told you?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"About what I would expect of you if your vision did come true. You're a slave of my father's legacy, like me." Without hesitation, Dante turned to leave.  
  
Lilith seized his hand. "If you go, you'll die! I know it!"  
  
Dante squeezed her hand. "Don't forget what I taught you. You have to go on alone some time. It may have been sooner than we thought." He yanked his hand free.  
  
"Why would you risk dying for that!" Lilith's eyes glowed red as she pointed at Deanna. Dante smacked her hand down and slapped her across her face. Lilith dropped to her knees. "We will all regret this."  
  
Dante stood over her. "Stand up." Lilith shook her head. The tips of her platinum white locks brushed across his boots. He saw blood dripping over them. "I said stand up."  
  
"What good will it do?"  
  
"Stand. Up. Now." Lilith sighed and slowly stood. "Stop crying. It looks bad." Liith wiped a trail of blood from her face. "Be careful when you shed those tears," Dante said. "Spill them wisely."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You'll see." Dante winked at her again. "I have faith in you." He turned his back to her again and approached Kerlak. "As par our agreement?"  
  
"Of course." Kerlak pulled the chain to make Deanna stand. "Today's your lucky day. Don't waste it."  
  
"I have no intention of doing so."  
  
"We'll see." Kerlak pulled the collar from around Deanna's neck. "You're free to go." In her peripheral vision, she saw Lilith aim Marduk towards her. Dante and Deanna made eye contact as she walked past him. He then forced his own eyes away. Deanna continued on. Kerlak motioned to Dante. "Come here." He stayed perfectly motionless as Kerlak fastened the collar around his neck. "Is there anything you'd like to say to your daughter before you go?"  
  
"That won't be necessary."  
  
"We'll see." Kerlak held the chain taut and gazed at the statue. "He has come! Take him and be nourished!"  
  
Lilith lowered Marduk. "Nourished?"  
  
The statue opened its eyes. Those eyes glanced down at Dante and Kerlak. The head remained still. "Take him," Kerlak repeated. As she said this, another figure, a man, appeared from the other side of the statue. "Get ready, Raynok," she said to him.  
  
A deep moan escaped from the statue. The vibrations shook everyone and everything. A black mass oozed from the letters carved into the stone. Dante crossed his hands and held them up. The black mass gathered in the statue's lap. A large tentacle reached out to touch him. In an instant, it engulfed his body. Raynok placed his hand on Kerlak's shoulder. Kerlak held her hand out. She and Raynok were engulfed as well. The moan grew louder as the oozed retracted itself into a ball on the statue's lap. Dante, Kerlak, and Raynok were gone.  
  
Lilith stared in disgust and disbelief as the black mass reattached itself to the carvings in the statue. The moan finally died when the black mass disappeared. "I can't believe it."  
  
Deanna tapped Lilith on the arm. "We have to go home."  
  
Lilith pistol whipped Deanna across the face. Deanna fell to the floor and covered her bleeding mouth. "I'm going home," Lilith said, "but your home is not with me."  
  
*  
"How long has it been?" Kerlak stood on the edge of the river of lava and dipped her finger within it. When she realized it didn't hurt her, she drove her entire hand into the lava. "It feels like warm milk."  
  
"Then it's true," Raynok said. "We are home." The terrain was exactly as he remembered it. Blood red clouds covered the dusk red sky. The ground smelled lightly of burning sulphur. Steam emerged from holes in the ground, but the ground was deceptively cool. Raynok took one step forward, only to be thrown back by a geyser of lava. He landed on his back and laughed. A leathery creature flew above him. "Indeed, we are home."  
  
Kerlak pulled her hand from the lava river. "I wonder what happened to Dante."  
  
"Take a look." Raynok and Kerlak stood and turned towards the perceived west. A stone monolith covered in blood stood in the distance. "Let's take a walk."  
  
*  
Lilith stared up at the ceiling. Rain splattered against the window. She rolled to her side and grabbed her father's pillow. She gently stuffed it under her head. "It smells like his shampoo." She inhaled deeply into the pillow to catch the scent. "Herbal Essense? Are you serious?"  
  
Lightning flashed as someone knocked on the bedroom door. "Go away!" Deanna opened the door, stepped into the room, and slammed the door shut. She folded her arms, but Lilith wasn't impressed. "What the hell do you want?"  
  
"I am trying to help you!"  
  
"Help me with what? I don't want you here. What I need, you can't give me."  
  
"What would that be?" Lilith didn't answer. "Look," Deanna said calmly, "I know you hate me and all that, but this is not about us. At least, it shouldn't be. This is about your father. I want to save Dante as much as you do."  
  
"There's nothing to save."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Lilith sat up. "I said there is nothing to save. Dante is dead."  
  
Deanna rubbed the bruise and blood clot on her face. "How can you be so sure?"  
  
"His father showed me."  
  
Deanna tilted her head forward. "Sparda? He talks to you?"  
  
"All the freaking time."  
  
"And he told you Dante is dead?"  
  
"Not exactly." Lilith fell back against the bed. "Grandpa Sparda doesn't like getting to the point. He prefers to pussyfoot."  
  
There was silence as Deanna considered her next move. Then she sat on the bed next to Lilith. "I'm not asking for your sympathy. Honestly, I don't give a damn anymore, but I do want your understanding."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Well, at least you didn't try to set me on fire."  
  
"I refuse to respond to anything you say."  
  
"Good. Then you won't mind if I kill you with anecdotes."  
  
"Please don't."  
  
"If I knew twenty years ago what I know right now, I never would have given Dante that damn cup of tea."  
  
Lilith resisted the urge to sit up. "What do you mean?" She covered her face with the pillow. "I can't believe I just asked that."  
  
"Dante and I met when I served him a cup of tea. He thought I was a servant."  
  
"I'll probably regret this, but why?"  
  
"The royal family of Shangri-La had a tradition. Every member of the family had a decoy to act in his or her place while the real royal family was disguised as servants. He didn't know whom I really was until after the first time we slept together."  
  
"Eww!" Lilith sat up and stood to leave. Deanna grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the bed. "I've heard enough! TMI! Too much information!"  
  
Deanna released her arm. "I'm sorry. It seemed funny before I said it."  
  
"Are you going somewhere with this?"  
  
Deanna turned away from her. "When I met your father, I was as I am now. Complete. I don't know when I lost half of my soul. "  
  
"I do."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Sparda showed it to me. You were sleeping."  
  
"Oh. It must have been right after your conception."  
  
"Oh gawd!" Lilith fell against the bed again and covered her head with the pillow. "Do I have to listen to this?"  
  
"No, you don't, but you do have to find your father."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because he's not dead. Not if Dante is whom I think he is. Premature demise is not his way."  
  
"What do you know of premature demise?" Lilith tossed the pillow at Deanna and stood. "How would you know this wasn't meant to be?"  
  
"People decide their own fate."  
  
"Then why am I a slave of some damn legacy? I didn't choose that, but someone has to do it."  
  
"Amazing. Just a few hours ago your attitude was completely opposite."  
  
"Bitch. Aren't you supposed to be feeding some worms, or something?" Lilith left the room rather than wait for an answer. She headed for the stairs but was distracted by a familiar yellow glow from her room. "Now what?" She opened the door and saw the statue from Mallet Island. "What can you tell me that I haven't already heard?"  
  
Those who desire to acquire the ancient ways of war shall offer the blood of monsters in exchange.  
  
Lilith stood in silence. She wasn't sure if she'd actually heard the voice or if she'd imagined it. She blinked to soothe the stinging in her eyes. Blood dripped down her face. Be careful when you shed those tears. Spill them wisely.  
  
"Blood of monsters? Will you settle for the blood of the greatest demon who ever lived?" She wiped a stream of blood away with her finger as she entered the room. "Sparda shall sorrow no more." She pressed her bloody finger against the statue's forehead.  
  
"You rang?" someone said behind her. Lilith knew whom it was before she turned to face him. Sparda was sitting in the middle of her room. Unlike most of their encounters, he was real rather than in her head, and he was in his demonic form. His wings were wrapped tightly around his body. "Why do you deny me?"  
  
As a sign of respect, Lilith sat before him in the lotus position. Sparda loosened his wings and wrapped them around her. "What do you mean?" Lilith asked. "I have never denied you."  
  
"You are a coward."  
  
"I'm all alone. I've never had to depend on myself completely. I always had someone else, just in case." Though his wings obscured them both in darkness, Lilith knew he was staring at her.  
  
"Your father was alone for many years. He never truly got to know me, and he lost his mother and brother. Still, he persevered."  
  
"That's sweet, but I'm not him."  
  
"Then you'll become him if you intend to survive. You have a responsibility, and I refuse to let you go to waste. I've put a lot of effort into you, especially within the past two years."  
  
"What about my father's efforts?"  
  
"Dante had double duty saving the world and raising you."  
  
"Had? Then he is dead?"  
  
"I didn't say that. I never said anything of the sort. He just can't do anything right now."  
  
"What about the vision you showed me?"  
  
Sparda snorted. "I showed you the future as you requested. I never said Dante was dead. You assumed it."  
  
"I knew you were going to say that." Lilith hung her head as she contemplated his words. "Then he could still be alive. I have to save him, don't I?"  
  
"What would Dante say?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Then you truly don't know your father. You're not as close as you think."  
  
"That's not fair."  
  
"No, but it's true, or else I wouldn't be here. Your father has made many sacrifices in his life, many that could have killed him or left him in a place of no return. Maybe this time, he's met his match."  
  
"No!" Sparda's wings tightened around her. "I won't leave him down there!"  
  
"Then you've made your choice?"  
  
"I'll get him. Even if he's dead, I'll bring his body back for burial."  
  
Sparda was silent for a moment. "So be it," he finally said. "Prove you are worthy of my name, Lilith Divinity Sparda."  
  
"That I shall." Lilith pushed his wings aside. "By the way, don't sound so dramatic. It's a little archaic."  
  
Sparda tilted his head. "You have completely killed the mood. Thanks for nothing."  
  
"You're welcome. So, how do we get into Hell long enough to rescue my father?"  
  
"Easy. The same way they got into Shangri-La to resurrect Deanna. We cut through space." 


	6. Blood Ties

Blood Ties  
  
Dante tugged lightly on his right wrist. His blood dripped slowly down the obsidian spike that protruded through his wrist. The ache was finally beginning to subside. He was crucified to a large black concave stone by both wrists and ankles. The stone seemed partially fluid; parts of it flowed upwards over him like sludge.  
  
Kerlak and Raynok stopped several feet away to get a better look. "That is beautiful," Kerlak commented.  
  
"Of course it is," Raynok said. "That is him. Father. We owe him for bringing us home."  
  
"You mean we've been worshipping a large rock!"  
  
"No." Raynok glowered at her. "It's only a form. Father's spirit is in there. Feasting."  
  
"Speaking of feasts, why isn't he finished with this one?" Kerlak approached the rock again. She saw Dante's upper body protrude from the black sludge. He stared back at her. "He seems to have a little trouble digesting his meal."  
  
"Good meals are best digested slowly. You never know when you may need another."  
  
Kerlak continued sharing a stare with Dante. "Raynok, will you leave us for a moment?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said leave us."  
  
"Why? What do you intend to do?"  
  
Kerlak leaned over and lightly kissed Raynok on his cheek. "Do not doubt me for a minute. We're home now. What could possibly go wrong?"  
  
"I hate when you say things like that."  
  
"Go explore. We've been away too long."  
  
Raynok glanced up at Dante, then nodded. "Fine. Just don't get too comfortable."  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it."  
  
"You don't dream." Raynok feigned a bow and left her. He took a route on the other side of the stone as if to deliberately hide Kerlak from his view. Kerlak waited a few seconds before approaching the stone. She touched it lightly to let the sludge slide over her hand.  
  
"Are you enjoying this?" Dante called to her.  
  
Kerlak shrugged and pulled her hand free. She spread her arms and levitated until she was level with Dante. "Why did you do it?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Agree to come here."  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
  
"Actually, yes and no. You could have easily tried to fight your way out. That's what I would have expected from the son of Sparda."  
  
"No offense to my father and all, but you have no idea how sick I am of being referred to as the son of Sparda. I have a name."  
  
"I know, but the name 'Dante' doesn't have as much oomf as 'son of Sparda.' Get used to it."  
  
"I'm a slave of his legacy," Dante whispered.  
  
"Exactly. Speaking of legacies, that's why I sent Raynok away. I wanted to talk to you about my own."  
  
"What if I don't care?"  
  
"You will care when you hear what I have to say."  
  
"I doubt that."  
  
"Haven't you ever wondered just how far a demon's blood could go, if it were pushed hard enough?"  
  
"There is no limit except that in the mind."  
  
"My thoughts exactly." Kerlak touched Dante's face. He realized too late that he had no room to withdraw from her hand. "Sadly, there really is a limit. That limit lies in the blood. It is a sacred fluid, but it makes us what we are. It makes you what you are."  
  
"Only partially."  
  
"No, fully. Take Lilith, for instance. She does you no justice."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"She's a nice placeholder, but in the end, what could she possibly do for you? Why not someone who was truly demon to carry your line?"  
  
"Are you suggesting . . ."  
  
"Yes, I am. Deanna was an accident. You know this. The world of demons needs a leader, a strong leader. I know you won't do it. At least, give me someone who would."  
  
Dante didn't know what to say. He laughed instead.  
  
"What is so funny?"  
  
The laughter suddenly died. "The answer is no. I'm sure the universe will agree with me. Lilith does a perfect job in my father's name, and I don't appreciate being chosen to father a king of demons. You make me sick."  
  
"I can get past that."  
  
"You're really desperate, aren't you?"  
  
"I'll pretend you didn't say that."  
  
"You do that. I'll be honest with you. I don't want you to be having any rugrats of mine. I already have Lilith, and she's two too many."  
  
Kerlak slammed her hand into the stone and got it stuck in the sludge. She yanked it free and floated to the ground. "We shall see, son of Sparda. I can make you wish you were dead."  
  
Dante narrowed his eyes. "I'm not afraid to die."  
  
"Then I will make you afraid to live."  
  
*  
Lilith raised her blood covered hand to the air. She stood in the spot where the statue once sat. The temple was empty except for Lilith and the red pair of eyes that peered at her from the darkness.  
  
"Dad, I was right. Sometimes it's a blessing; sometimes it's a curse. Right now it's a curse for us both, but it may yet be your blessing." She drew a sigil through the air. The blood on her hand traced the sigil and remained suspended in the air.  
  
"Here we go. Wish me luck, Grandpa." Sparda didn't respond, but she didn't wait for a response. Lilith slapped her palm against the sigil and was engulfed into the darkness.  
  
"Hurry back, child," a voice said from the shadows.  
  
*  
Deanna stared at the picture and sighed. She flipped through the photo album five times. Each time confirmed her greatest character flaw. There were over 200 pictures there, but there wasn't even one picture featuring her and Lilith together. After the fifth look, she threw the book against the wall.  
  
"I'm not her anymore. Why does it bother me?" She lay against the bed. It felt familiar to her, but unwelcoming. "This is wrong." An indistinct memory of lying under the sheets in the nude came to her. She remembered Dante sliding the sheets off her and kissing her oblique. She shivered and sat up. "That was very wrong."  
  
Whimpering at the door got her attention. The little puppy Lilith brought her pushed its way into the room. It scuttled to Deanna's feet. She picked it up and held it against her chest. Deanna stood and rubbed her face. "I have to get out of here." She flexed her hand. "I'm not real. Just a golem." She picked up the album and carefully set it onto the bed. "I'm doing it again."  
  
She carried the puppy dowstairs to the living room. She set it down and sat so she could think about her next move. The puppy leaned against her leg. "I should say something to them, but what?" After a quick consideration, she collected some paper and a pen. She slowly wrote down something, then left it there. "How about a walk?" she asked the dog. It merely tilted its head to the side. "I knew you'd say something like that."  
  
*  
Lilith ran through the puddles of magma in search of an escape. A demon scorpion was only a few steps behind her. It chased her through an extensive cavern system that appeared to have been deliberately carved with comfort in mind. She continued running, even after she noticed the large pit ahead. With a hefty push on the edge of the pit, she soared over it and landed on the other side. The demon scorpion leapt after her. Lilith had already continued down the cavern, so she didn't see the scorpion miss the edge and topple into the pit.  
  
Lilith didn't stop until she entered a greater room in the caverns. It seemed as large as an amphitheater. A cascade of lava flowed from the wall into a river of lava, which in turn continued farther into the cavern. In the distance, she could see the river drop into a second cascade. The top of the first cascade was merely a few feet from her. She stood several hundred feet above the river.  
  
"This is worse than when Dad began teaching me to fly."  
  
Lilith heard the rock behind her shift. She waiting until the a pair of arms protruded from the rock wall. Before the arms could grab her, she leapt up and twisted in midair. A volley of bullets from Tiamat and Marduk bounced off the rock. Lilith devil triggered to sprout wings. Bolts of lightning flashed from her hands until the rock arms crumpled to dust.  
  
Beneath Lilith, in the lava river, a great beast of fire rose from the river. Lilith turned in time to see it slap her against the rock face. The impact knocked her out of devil trigger. The fire beast released her to let her slide to the floor. Part of the way down, Lilith pulled Sparda free and swung it at the fire beast. The flaming red sword spun as a scythe towards the fire beast. The beast split itself to avoid the scythe's path. The sword rebound and continued towards the fire beast. The blade's tip nicked the demon across its torso. To prevent further assault, the demon melted back into the river.  
  
Lilith caught Sparda with one hand and devil triggered again. She flew up to the top of the cascade and hovered. From there, she surveyed the river. She had Sparda in her left hand and her right hand ready to attack. Beneath her, the lava cascade began to bubble. Lilith rushed forward as the fire demon returned from the cascade. It stretched itself to chase her throughout the entire cavern. Lilith swung at it with Sparda several times. Each time it split into another demon. Eventually, she would have to think of something else or be overrun with them.  
  
Lilith finally made a last ditch flight for the end of the river. One of the lave demons burst upwards to block her path. Rather than break through it, Lilith raised her right hand. A shower of ice froze the creature in its path. Lilith flipped in midair and threw ice showers in every direction until every demon was covered. She flew above them and covered them with a second and third layer of ice. As the ice settled, Lilith threw Sparda through them and flew for the second cascade. She folded her wings against her back and fell upside down towards the bottom. She heard the ice shatter above as Sparda flew through it. The sword found its way to her again right before she hit the lava.  
  
*  
  
"I don't believe this." Kerlak paced in front of the concave stone. "Me, of all people, you refuse me. Maybe it's my fault. I should have better taste. Then again, is that possible? Look what you made me do!" she yelled at Dante. "You have me all confused!"  
  
Dante was no longer in the mood to laugh. Some of the blood in his wounds began to grow stagnant. He could feel some of his muscles going into minor spasms. He paid no attention to Kerlak ranting on the ground. "Will you please shut up?"  
  
Though he whispered it, Kerlak stopped as if she'd heard him. "I think it's time to handle this. I don't care if you are food for the gods. I'm a woman scorned."  
  
Before she could take a single step, a shockwave rumbled through the ground. Kerlak fell to one knee as a geyser of lava broke through the ground behind her. Some of it splashed across her, but she didn't mind. "That was unexpected." She looked down to assess how much her clothes had been ruined. She gasped when she realized she wasn't covered in lava after all, but blood.  
  
Kerlak stood and turned. The geyser was much weaker already. Blood spurted into the air at quick intervals. Above, just beyond the reach of the geyser, Lilith hovered in devil form. Kerlak lifted her hand and motioned for Lilith to approach her. Lilith flew towards her, returned to human form, and dropped to Kerlak's side.  
  
Kerlak felt uneasy, but she couldn't determine why. "Lilith. Dante's rugrat."  
  
Lilith nodded. "Hello to you, too."  
  
There was something about Lilith that disturbed Kerlak. Still, she intended to keep the upper hand. "I suppose you're here to rescue your father."  
  
Lilith smirked. "That's part of it, but I'm not here alone."  
  
"What do you mean?" Kerlak dared.  
  
Lilith's smirk widened. As she spoke, her voice suddenly dropped into a masculine tone. "Actually, I'm here for my son."  
  
Kerlak's mouth opened as she realized what was happening. Before Kerlak could say anything, Lilith spun and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to Kerlak's abdomen. The force knocked Kerlak into the air. She flew backwards towards Dante, hit the stone, and slid downwards. Before her feet touched the ground, Lilith rushed forward and seized Kerlak by her face. Lilith's nails tore into Kerlak's flesh. Lilith turned on her heel, seized Kerlak by the back of her head, and smashed Kerlak's face into the stone. Lilith felt Kerlak's skull shatter under the impact. "Feast, and be nourished." The sludge oozed over Kerlak's face. Lilith released her and stepped away as the sludge gradually absorbed Kerlak's body into the rock.  
  
"Give him back," Lilith muttered to the rock. When nothing happened in response, she pounded on it once with both fists. "Give him back!"  
  
Dante watched in awe as everything unfolded so quickly. "Lilith?" he tried to call as his muscles cramped again. Lilith stopped what she was doing to look back at him. "She's in the car," he said, "but someone else is driving."  
  
*  
Raynok tossed the stone into the air and caught it repeatedly. He danced in several directions on his way back to Kerlak. He stopped when he heard someone scream, "Give him back!" Raynok dropped the stone and ran towards where he left Kerlak and Dante.  
  
*  
  
Lilith stepped back again to get a clearer view. "This is too easy. I know you're in there. Come out so we can finish what we started 2000 years ago."  
A low rumbling eminated from the stone. "Sparda," it called.  
"I'm listening," Lilith responded. She heard someone yell at her from behind the stone. With a wry smile, she strafed around the stone until she was face to face with Raynok. "Hello," she sneered at him. "I suppose you're here to fight me."  
  
"I can't believe you actually made it. Where is Kerlak?"  
  
"Your father's having her for dinner. In the meantime, I've come for mine."  
  
Raynok cracked his knuckles. "You can't have him. He's bound to stay here through his own father's failings."  
  
Lilith closed her eyes as if she were in a deep meditation. Raynok squirmed as thick trails of blood flowed from her eyes. "His fate is no failing of mine," she said. Once again her voice had become deeply masculine.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I've come to finish what we started two millenia ago." Lilith leapt into the air and flipped backwards. She landed on the stone. "What are you willing to sacrifice so I may kill him again!" Lilith dropped herself over the other side and devil triggered. She hovered in front of Dante. He was already unconscious. She wasted no time in breaking his bonds with her bare hands. She caught him as he fell forward and lowered him to the ground. "Now it's your turn to be rescued. Family business should really pay overtime."  
  
Lilith flew to the top of the stone and returned to human form. "What do you say, Raynok! Wanna play!"  
  
"What is this you speak of?"  
  
"Idiot." Lilith felt the stone vibrate through her. She stomped once. "Are you awake?" The sludge split from the stone and oozed over the ground. A pale face with small black eyes emerged from the edge as the rest of the sludge took on a humanoid form. Lilith hissed in excitement as the face gazed up at her. "It's been a long time."  
  
The face opened its flat, almost indiscernible lips. "Not long enough, child of Sparda. What do you want?"  
  
"I came originally to take back what is mine, but now I want to see you."  
  
"Why do you mock me?"  
  
"I have nothing better to do. Now, if you'll excuse me." Lilith flipped off the stone and landed beside Dante. She faltered for a moment when she saw him lying there. For an instant, she remembered a vision of her father lying on the ground, but there was one difference. There was no red mark on his face. "There will be now." Suddenly aware of what she had to do, she kneeled beside him and wiped blood from her right eye. She drew a mandala on his forehead. "With this mark, I set you free."  
  
Lilith jumped to her feet as Dante's eyes opened. He sat up and reached for her, but she backed away. "Lilith?" he asked weakly. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm sorry," Lilith answered. "I can't explain right now. You have something to do first. For both of us."  
  
"What?" Dante fell back and winced as flames burst from his body. A mandala formed by the fire emerged around him.  
  
"Go!" Lilith encouraged him. "Return to me when you are ready!"  
  
The flames leaped towards the sky and engulfed Dante in a dancing inferno. A second later, the fire died, and Dante was gone. Lilith sighed in relief before a massive headache hit her. It lasted only a second, but it was enough to drop Lilith to her knees. She felt more blood gush from her eyes.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked herself.  
  
"Rest child," Sparda said in her head. "Let me take over. I will take care of this." Lilith screamed as, for the first time, she transformed fully with Sparda's Sorrow.  
  
The pale face turned to look at Raynok. "Hello," it said to him.  
  
"Who are you?" Raynok asked between gasps.  
  
"I am the one you have fed and cared for for all these centuries."  
  
Raynok's mouth opened slightly. "Father?"  
  
"Yes." The creature spoke with a hiss as if it were partially serpentine. "Come to me, and let me reward you."  
  
Raynok was still for a moment, then stepped back. He shook his head. "I don't think that would be wise."  
  
The face sneered. "Do not deny me!" A pale hand emerged from the sludge and grabbed Raynok around his throat. "I will kill you." 


	7. Ascension

Ascension  
  
Dante awoke to the smell of musty air and rain. He blinked a few times until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He lifted his arm to look at his wrist; there was no wound, no scar, nor blood. He rolled to his side to stand. A flash of lightning illuminated the building.  
  
"I'm back at the temple. What the hell happened? Lilith!" The memory of the previous several minutes made him stiffen. "Shit! She's still down there!" He leaned against the nearest bench as his mind tried to find a new solution. He ran a hand through his hair. "I wonder if I'm gray yet?"  
  
Another flash of lightning brought his attention to the altar. A sword and four guns were set on his red trench coat. Floating over the altar was a sigil dripping some red substance that seemed like glowing blood. "That must be it."  
  
*  
Raynok approached the large rock that stood between him and Lilith. He waved his arm towards it. The rock was lifted from the ground and flung through the air. It soon disappeared over the horizon. Raynok saw Lilith crouched on the ground as if she were in pain. A puddle of blood was forming on the ground in front of her. Raynok smirked and kneeled before her.  
  
"What do I have here?" He lifted her face and wiped the blood away. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Get away from me!" She pushed him back with a force even she was unaccustomed to. Raynok landed on his back several feet away.  
  
"I will gut you, you fucking whelp!" Raynok jumped to his feet and ran towards her. She casually blocked the incoming punch with one hand. Before he could react, Lilith kicked him in the gut. As his legs flew past her, she grabbed one, spun him around, and slammed him against the ground.  
  
Raynok's body unexpectedly splattered as it hit the ground. Lilith stepped back as thick black ooze burst from his chest. She withdrew Sparda and kept her distance. The ooze picked itself up as if it were alive. Lilith watched in disgust as it gathered over Raynok and formed its own humanoid body. Its arms became long blades with jagged edges. A pale flat face with narrow black eyes and undefined tight lips emerged to contrast the inky black body.  
  
Lilith lowered Sparda slightly. "It's you. You don't look so hot."  
  
Raynok shrieked as the being pulled itself free. Saying nothing, the being turned to look down at Raynok. "Quiet, worm." It raised its left arm and sliced Raynok across his throat. The being watched as Raynok bled to death. "You have finally outlived your usefulness."  
  
"Welcome back," Lilith said. "Now I must finish what I began 2,000 years ago."  
  
"Do I know you?" the being asked in a voice that echoed.  
  
Lilith took another step back as she was engulfed in black light. When it died a second later, she had sprouted six wings. Horns that dripped blood lay against the sides of her head. Curved spikes protruded from the sides of her arms. Lilith closed her wings and pressed them tightly against her back.  
  
"Is this how you intend to fight me, child?" the being asked.  
  
"I am no child. Though I am young in body, her soul rests safely while I take care of you myself. We have business to settle."  
  
The being narrowed its eyes. "I do know you! You're the one who bound me. Sparda!" Lilith slightly bowed her head to acknowledge him. "You're not the same, though. Now you hide behind a little girl and put her at risk. I'm disappointed."  
  
"Then you don't know my granddaughter."  
  
"Granddaughter? Of course. I'll kill you by killing her first!"  
  
Lilith remained perfectly calm as the creature charged at her. She effortlessly deflected his attacks with Sparda for a few seconds. When she found the opportunity, she stepped aside and activated her time effect. Everything was covered in a blue, black, and white negative as her perception of time slowed down. She rolled behind the creature, knocked him into the air, and sliced his through the torso three times with the sword. She stepped out of the way and deactivated the time trigger. Four portions of the creature's body fell to the ground. Lilith showed no surprise when the pieces merely pulled themselves into one form again.  
  
"You're getting pretty slow," Lilith chided. "Is it the time you spent cooped up, or are you just getting old?"  
  
"On the contrary, the time I spent imprisoned has made me stronger. Just watch, and behold the power of an ancient god of destruction."  
  
"You're no more a god of destruction than Mundus was a god of good grammar."  
  
The creature drooled as it spoke. "Two millennia give one a long time to grow, even when imprisoned. Behold my power and quake in the presence of Fluffy!"  
  
Lilith exploded in a fit of hysterical laughter. "I never grow tired of hearing that! It's hilarious! A god of destruction named Fluffy! I've waited all this time to hear that again!"  
  
Fluffy growled. "If your name were Fluffy, wouldn't you want to destroy things!"  
  
"I'll never know." Lilith lifted Sparda horizontally over her head. Flashes of lightning erupted over the sword and across her body. A sheet of ice spread from under her right foot while flames erupted from under her left foot. "Now I have to kill you." With a powerful flap of her wings, she leapt several feet into the air. Fluffy backed out of the way just before she plummeted to the ground. The impact crater she created swallowed her body. A second later she leapt from the crater and landed safely in front of Fluffy. She left a trail of lightning, fire, and ice in her wake.  
  
Fluffy swung at her with a jagged arm. She dodged it, but she couldn't completely avoid the other arm that pierced her right shoulder. Rather than squeal, as Fluffy expected, she plunged Sparda straight through his chest. The lightning that surrounded it exploded into a shower of electricity. Fluffy screamed and pulled himself free from both her shoulder and the sword.  
  
"That was for my granddaughter!" Lilith yelled to Fluffy. Before Fluffy could recover from the lightning, Lilith folded her wings and delivered a swift kick to Fluffy's jaw. "That was for my son!" Fluffy fell to the ground. Lilith placed her foot on top of his head. "This is for Deanna!" Lilith lifted her foot and stomped Fluffy's head three times into the ground. Blood splattered and bone shattered under the force of her foot.  
  
After the third strike, Fluffy seized her foot and flipped her into the air. Lilith prepared to strike him with the sword again on her way down. Instead, Fluffy stretched himself as if he were putty. His body split into two halfway down and attacked her from both sides. He caught her off guard. As she attempted to strike at one side, the other wrapped around her and encased her within a prison of sludge. Her arms were trapped against her sides. A piece of sludge wrapped around her fist and forced her to release Sparda. It landed on the ground with the tip embedded in the dirt.  
  
Fluffy deliberately slammed Lilith against the ground until she reverted to her human form. Then he held her down with her face against the dirt. "What's wrong?" Fluffy teased her as he pressed his bland face against hers. "I can't believe you were that easy."  
  
Lilith glanced towards the sky. Fluffy grimaced when she grinned. "I'm not that easy. It's not over yet. You forget there are two of us in here."  
  
"Two heads are not better than one. You proved it."  
  
"It's not over yet," Lilith repeated. She turned her face away.  
  
"What are you doing?" The next thing Fluffy heard was a gunshot. The next thing he felt was something piercing the back of his head. He screamed again as part of his head splattered against Lilith. She scrambled to safety as Fluffy cringed against the ground in an effort to pull himself back together literally.  
  
Lilith wiped her face as she approached the red and black clad figure that dropped from the sky. "I didn't think you'd make it back," she said.  
  
"How did you expect to get out of here?" Dante asked.  
  
"The same way I got in."  
  
"Like what you did to me?"  
  
"Nothing that dramatic." Lilith turned to face Fluffy again. "I lost the sword. You have to take him on so I can get it."  
  
"Lilith . . ."  
  
Lilith turned her head slightly to acknowledge him. "Yes, Dante?"  
  
"What did you just say?"  
  
Lilith turned to face him completely. She appeared somewhat hesitant. "Lilith is taking a little nap. She'll be back." Lilith reached up to touch Dante's face. "It is good that I got to see for myself how much you've grown." Before Dante could back away, Lilith stroked his cheek and held her finger up for him to see. A drop of blood balanced on her nail. "I sorrow no longer." She casually wiped the blood on his shirt and darted off to grab the sword.  
  
Fluffy was already on the move. He met her halfway to the sword. He knocked her into the air to do to her the same thing she had done to him earlier. As he watched Lilith spin in the air and waited for his opportunity, a red blur slammed into him. The two figures skidded several feet. Lilith landed on her feet. A sudden flash of energy in her body dropped her to her knees and elbows. She placed one arm against her abdomen.  
  
"Boy, am I gonna be sore in the morning. Both of us." She looked over to see what was happening.  
  
Fluffy continued skidding a few feet after the red blur had stopped. He glanced up at the intruder. A black demon with wild white hair and dressed in red stood over him. "And who the hell are you?" Fluffy asked.  
  
"It doesn't matter." Fluffy perked up at the sound of the voice. "You must be Dante. How you've changed. Just moments ago you were my dinner."  
  
Dante swung Merciless in a low arc. Fluffy slid out of the way and stood. Dante go a good look at Fluffy's face. A large chunk of the left side was still missing and oozing black sludge.  
  
"It appears you're losing face," Dante taunted, "literally."  
  
Fluffy raised one arm. The end of it began to shrink and change form until it was a human hand. He stuck two fingers into the face wound. More ooze gratuitously spurted over his hand. Then he flung the ooze onto the ground. "Then how about a little company to our party!" Where the ooze landed, several small reptilian figures emerged. At first, they were small enough to step on. When Dante actually stepped on one, it slipped from under his foot and flew into the air. The other slimy reptiles followed suit. Dante and Fluffy watched from below as the ooze reptiles soared through the air like miniature dragons. The dance eventually formed into a circle, where they collided with each other and grew until they were one large dragon.  
  
"Oh shit." Dante leapt out of the way as the dragon dropped to the ground. "This brings back memories." He suddenly remembered a decade ago when he fought a similar creature on Earth, though the reasons were completely different. He was running away with its mate's head at the time.  
  
The dragon gained altitude with one powerful flap of its wings. It held its head back as if preparing for something. It opened its mouth and screamed. A large blue fireball and a beam of light shot from its mouth. Dante flipped out of the way before the beam hit where he had been standing. Lilith curled into a defensive fetal position as flying debris buried her alive. There, she waited.  
  
Dante flew after the dragon. Merciless spun from his hand and hit its mark on the side of the dragon's neck. Lightning sparked as Dante let loose a barrage of bullets from Toot and Puddle, his submachine guns. "I knew I should have brought the TDC," he silently lamented while thinking about his trusty rocket launcher that Lilith absolutely hated. He caught Merciless on its return trip and waited for the dragon to respond.  
  
He didn't expect a verbal response. "I hope you don't think that hurt." The dragon looked down at him and opened its mouth as if to smirk. With one swing of its left claw, Dante flew backwards and landed next to Lilith's living grave. He skidded a few feet on the back of his neck. The impact knocked him into human form.  
  
"Ouch."  
  
Fluffy wiped his face with one hand, but the ooze continued flowing from his face. He approached the dragon and placed a hand against its side. "Isn't he marvelous? One of my pets from my days on Earth, before your father came along."  
  
Dante stood and wiped blood from his face with his thumb. "He's not all that."  
  
Fluffy narrowed his eyes. "We shall see." Fluffy pushed his hand into the dragon's side. The dragon shrieked as it absorbed Fluffy's body into its own. It bent its head towards the ground as a mound of fleshy ooze throbbed on the nape of its long neck. The mound elongated and took the form of Fluffy. He was attached to the dragon's back at his waist. Fluffy extended his arms until they took the form of jagged swords again. "This is your end!"  
  
Dante grimaced. "That's one way of putting it."  
  
* Under the debris and rocks, Lilith struggled to hold herself together. What are you doing? Sparda asked in her mind.  
  
"I'm taking over."  
  
You must not. You don't know what you're doing.  
  
"Yes, I do. You have shown me the way. Now, I have to do this myself. I have to prove my worth to myself. Let me."  
  
You don't know what you're up against. If anything happens to you . . .  
  
"It won't. After all, I am my father's daughter. Trust me."  
  
*  
  
Dante twirled Merciless habitually as he pondered his next move. Stand down, he heard Lilith's voice in his head.  
  
"What?"  
  
Stand down, Dad. Let me do this.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" He turned to face the mound of rock she was buried under. He leaned over to touch the nearest rock.  
  
I wouldn't do that if I were you.  
  
"Right." Dante stepped back just as the dragon raised its foot. "What should I do?" As if guided by instinct, Dante dropped to one knee. He was oblivious to the foot that was coming down to squash him. He didn't hear Fluffy's laughter. All he felt was anticipation.  
  
The dragon's foot got as close as one foot to the mound of rock and Dante's head. Dante closed his eyes as a wave of heat and a powerful light emerged from the rock mound. A moment later, some force blasted the rocks in ever direction. Most of them pelted the dragon and Fluffy. The massive energy shock knocked the dragon several feet back. Fluffy's extra weight pulled it off center and sent it crashing to the ground.  
  
When the heat and light dimmed, Dante looked at what had become of Lilith. She was in her new devil form again, with the spikes, horns, and six wings. She was surrounded by a blue light that danced around her like an aurora. Her hair billowed around as if she stood over a wind. She glanced down at him. "What?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. I've just never noticed the new look."  
  
"Very funny." Dante stayed where he was as she strolled towards the fallen dragon. "Get out here, Fluffy! Don't you want to see me!"  
  
The dragon squealed as Fluffy forced it to right itself. Fluffy glanced down at Lilith. "Where did that come from? Who are you? Are you Sparda, or his little whelp?"  
  
Lilith narrowed her eyes. "You shall never again show such blatant disrespect for my family." She reached out towards Sparda the sword. It pulled itself from the ground and flew into her hand. Bolts of lightning flashed across her body. Fire danced around her left foot while sheets of ice spread from under her right foot. Lilith raised her free hand and motioned for Fluffy to approach her.  
  
"When I'm done with you," Fluffy taunted, "I'll finish what I started with the world and everything else beyond it."  
  
"You talk too much."  
  
The dragon raised its head and opened its mouth. A large ball of blue and white flame shot from its mouth. Lilith simply stared at it as the ball of flame fell upon her. Fluffy laughed as Lilith and Dante were engulfed in blue fire. He didn't stop soon enough to see that the flame didn't touch them. Instead, it veered off in every other direction as if it had hit an invisible force field. Lilith and Dante remained unscathed and nonchalant. He stopped laughing only when the rebounding energy nearly scorched what was left of his face.  
  
"Is that the best you can do?" Lilith taunted.  
  
Fluffy lowered his head a bit as if to threaten her. "Not in the slightest."  
  
Lilith risked looking down at Dante. She nodded at him. He stood and returned the nod. Fluffy saw Lilith raise the index and pinky fingers on her right hand towards him, but he didn't see what she intended to do. Dante plunged Merciless into the dragon's chest. The dragon backed away. Dante twisted Merciless and slid it free. Then he transformed and flew into the dragon's face. He aimed one submachine gun at the dragon's head and the other at Fluffy's.  
  
Lilith swung her hand around as she muttered something she did not understand. The lightning intensified. Large bolts shot off her body as if to prevent an electric overload. As she moved her arms around, flames and ice shards flew in every direction. When she finished the quick incantation, she drew some of the lightning into a ball between her hands and waited.  
  
Dante plunged Merciless between the dragon's eyes. He struggled to pull the sword free as he felt static crackle through his hair. In the back of his mind, he knew that was his signal to get out of the way. Just as he pulled the blade from the dragon's brain, or what pretended to be a brain, a large spear of electricity pierced through the dragon's chest and emerged from between its shoulders.  
  
"What the?" Dante took to the air as the dragon convulsed. Fluffy coughed up blood as the dragon leaned forward and fell face first into the dirt. Dante saw a small shadow beneath him. Lilith dropped from above him and landed in front of Fluffy on the dragon's back. Her feet landed on Fluffy's arms and crushed them with her momentum. Fluffy screamed as one arm caught on fire while the other was encased in ice.  
  
Lilith stood and raised her right arm. The spikes along her arm seemed to stand more erect. "If you fuck with my family," she threatened as she drove the spike closest to her elbow into Fluffy's neck, "you fuck with me." She pivoted on her right foot to drive each spike across Fluffy's neck. When the last spike went through, Fluffy stared at her in utter astonishment. He coughed more blood before his head fell backwards and pulled free of his neck. It rolled down the dragon's body and several more feet before finally resting at the dragon's tail.  
  
Lilith stared at her handiwork in disbelief until Dante called her name. She jumped from the dragon's back and trudged to him. They reverted to their human forms simultaneously.  
  
"That was amazing," Dante said.  
  
"Just wait until you get the opportunity to do it yourself. It was Grandpa's idea." Dante grinned. "Dad," Lilith inquired, "would you understand if I asked you to carry me out of here?"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
"Thanks. I appreciate it." Before either could say another word, Lilith fell forward into Dante's arms. He could hear her snoring.  
  
He gently patted her head. "Next time you're carrying yourself." 


	8. Final Decision

Final Decision  
  
Lilith looked out over the cliff. The sun had already set, and the stars were beginning to peak through the twilight sky. "That was the most difficult thing I ever had to do."  
  
"It will only get worse," Sparda said beside her. "If you are not ready, then you will not survive."  
  
Lilith glanced his way. "I am ready. I know that now." Sparda nodded once in response. "What about Dad?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"He cried blood while we were in Hell. How did he do that?"  
  
"Why wouldn't he have? It is a grave responsibility you two face. It is just my way of saying I face it with you." Lilith contorted her face as if she were preparing to retch. "Don't even think it," Sparda threatened her. "I'm serious."  
  
Lilith straightened her face. "I know. I was only making fun."  
  
Sparda folded his arms. "You did very well down there when it mattered. You have learned everything your father and I have taught you, even if you don't realize it. You harnessed a power I wasn't sure you could handle. That's why I took over, but you did it yourself."  
  
When he stopped speaking, Lilith raised an eyebrow. "What? You're not going to say how proud you are?"  
  
"Why should I? You'll only act like it's making you sick."  
  
"Right," she said sarcastically.  
  
"It's time for you to go home now. Give your mother my regards."  
  
"What?"  
  
*  
Lilith awoke suddenly as if she'd been startled in a dream. The instant she regained consciousness, she found a hand on her shoulder. She looked over at Dante. "What happened?"  
  
Dante removed his hand and reached for the car radio. "You fell asleep. I had to carry you all the way back to Earth."  
  
"Sorry." Lilith stared through the car window. The city was obscured by rain. "It's not easy doing something like that. It's more difficult being possessed by a powerful demon."  
  
There was a moment of silence before Dante asked, "Is he still here?"  
  
"It depends on what you mean." Dante didn't elaborate. "Physically, he's long gone. Spiritually, he's clingy. If you're wondering, he has nothing to tell you that you don't already know."  
  
"Well, that's good to know."  
  
"Don't sound so disappointed." Lilith leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. "What time is it?"  
  
"It's a little after two in the morning."  
  
Lilith opened her eyes. "Hey! It's my birthday."  
  
"What do you know?" Dante said. "You're turning twenty. I'll buy you a pair of shot glasses."  
  
"Why? I can't use them for another year."  
  
Dante smirked. "I know. You do too, if you know what's good for you."  
  
*  
Dante carried Lilith into the house when he realized she'd fallen asleep again. The faint smell of ozone, carbon, and ice followed them as he carried her upstairs. He held her over her bed, and then dropped her onto her back.  
  
"Hey!" Lilith sat up and protested. "Dad, that was not cool!"  
  
Dante pointed a finger at her. "Go to sleep."  
  
"Okay." Lilith rolled over and complied.  
  
"Wow," Dante whispered to himself. "That must have been some workout." He walked out backwards and quietly closed the door. The puppy ran up the stairs to greet him and sat at his feet. "What do you want?" he asked the dog. It merely responded by staring at him. Dante turned to go to his room. The puppy stood and whined. "I'm not in the mood to play Lassie."  
  
The puppy followed Dante to his room and watched him toss his gloves and coat across the bed. It barked when he motioned to take off his shirt. Dante glared at it. "What do you want?"  
  
As if on cue, the puppy ran from the room. Dante leaned through the door to watch what it would do. It stood at the top of the staircase and looked back at him. "I get it," Dante mumbled. "You want to go play in the rain, don't you?" The dog tilted its head as if confused by the question. "Never mind." Dante chased the puppy downstairs with the intention of putting it outside. The puppy's path took them both past the coffee table in the living room. Dante stopped in his tracks when he noticed the paper on the table. He picked it up for a closer look. "Oh my god."  
  
*  
Lilith awoke to someone shaking her violently. "What!" She pushed Dante away and sat up. "What do I have to do to get a good night's sleep around here!"  
  
"Lilith, get up! It's urgent!"  
  
"What!"  
  
Dante handed Lilith the paper he found. She glanced over it before actually reading it. It was a letter from Deanna addressed to her and Dante. She read it three times before she realized what it was saying. The message was simple. When she was done, she let it drop to the floor.  
  
"She's doing it again," Lilith said in a shaky voice.  
  
"This may be for the best."  
  
"How can you say that? She left us again, and this time it really was her fault."  
  
"You didn't really give her much of a choice. She left because she didn't feel her presence here was natural."  
  
Lilith opened her mouth as if to argue, but then she closed her mouth and shrugged. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize."  
  
"I know. She just needs to get herself sorted out. If she's ready, she'll be back."  
  
The two of them remained still for several seconds before Lilith stood. "For some reason, I'm not sleepy anymore. I think I'll finish The Divine Comedy. I never made it to Paradise."  
  
"You can do that later. Right now, let's eat."  
  
Lilith saw the puppy as it slowly walked into her room. She picked it up. "You can eat, too."  
  
"If you intend on keeping him, he'll need a name."  
  
"How about Guess?"  
  
"Works for me." 


End file.
